Biki has changed Honolulu – it’s gotten thousands of new people cycling and made bicycles a part of our public transportation system. This is all possible because of City support for the non-profit Bikeshare Hawaii. Resolution 19-204 aims to abandon the City’s support for public bikeshare and to start charging Biki for stations of City land.
Join HBL in saying that Biki is an important part of our transportation system & deserves City support!
Testify by Tuesday September 3rd
1. Go to www.honolulu.gov/ccl-testimony-form.html?view=form
2. Select — Council/PH Committee – Council/Public Hearing;Â Agenda Item – Resolution 19-204;Â Your position on the matter – OPPOSE; Â Representing –Â Self; Â Written testimony –Â speak in your own words, those are the most powerful. Feel free to use the points below as a guide.
3. Submit
***Step up your impact by coming out to testify at the hearing in person. It’s at Honolulu Hale (530 S King St) this WED 9/4/19 10:00am.***
Why Oppose Resolution 19-204
Bikeshare is Public Transportation & Public Transportation Warrants Public Support
HBL strongly supported the establishment of public bikeshare, as it would make cycling part of Oahu’s public transportation system and get many more people biking. Now, someone without a bike (or without their bike with them) can easily choose to bike and this is getting more people on two-wheels.
Just as with TheBus, public transportation is a public benefit that needs public investment. Public bikeshare is no different. From Washington DC to Minneapolis to San Francisco, docked public bikeshare systems rely on public support. Just like we don’t charge TheBus for bus stops, we shouldn’t charge Biki for stations. And if you think dockless bikeshare private companies would be glad to swoop in to provide a great public bikeshare system, think again – the private dockless bikeshare industry has collapsed across the US and the cities that relied on it have been left with NO bikeshare.
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Charging Biki will Result in Less Public Bikeshare
In October, Bikeshare Hawaii expanded Biki by 30 stations and 300 bikes to service UH Manoa, KCC, Makiki, and Iwilei. The expansion brought public bikeshare to thousands of additional residents and connected key resident destinations including Hawaii’s largest university. Bikeshare Hawaii spent over $450,000 to make the expansion possible. If the City charges Bikeshare Hawaii for space for stations, that means less or NO money to expand and spread the benefits of public bikeshare. This could put a halt to all future expansions. HBL wants to see the benefits of public bikeshare spread to communities like Kalihi, Kaimuki, and eventually beyond to Kapolei and throughout the island – BUT we’re going to need public support to get there.Â
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Treating Public Bikeshare Like a Business Will Push Bikeshare Hawaii to Act Like a Business, Which Will be Bad for Residents
Imagine if Biki only serviced Waikiki and was nothing but a tourist amenity – that’s what bikeshare would look like if it were just a business. Fortunately, Biki is run by the non-profit Bikeshare Hawaii, whose mission it is to bring public bikeshare and grow bicycling to residents and visitors. This means Biki does things that a normal business wouldn’t do. A normal business would focus on the highest demand areas where tourists happily pay the $4.00 walk up rate, as this is where the profits would be greatest. Instead, Biki also services our neighborhoods like McCully/Moiliili and Makiki and important destinations for residents like UH Manoa and office places where most Biki users are on the $15/month unlimited ride plan and the profits are minimal to non-existent. We need the City to continue to partner with Biki to ensure that public bikeshare benefits the people of Oahu.
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