The Rail, TOD, & Bikes 9/10

Meet the Speakers (those working to make it happen)

Read more about 9/10/15 event here.

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Mark Garrity
Deputy Director of Transportation Services, City and County of Honolulu

Mark Garrity is the Deputy Director of Transportation Services for the City and County of Honolulu.  He has been involved in several initiatives including implementation of Complete Streets, integration of the City’s bus system with the future rail system, encouraging Transit Oriented Development, establishing a network of protected bike lanes, and supporting establishment of bike share, car share, and parklets. He leads a working group developing a new electronic fare collection system to be used on bus and rail and has established a program focused on improving walking, bicycling and bus connections to rail transit stations.

 

 

 

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Harrison Rue
Transit Oriented Development Administrator, City and County of Honolulu

Harrison Rue is Community Building and TOD Administrator for the City and County of Honolulu.  He is leading creation, adoption, and implementation of Neighborhood TOD Plans around 19 station areas for Honolulu’s 20 mile rail line, including revised codes and zoning, financial tools, catalytic project development, and an islandwide affordable housing strategy. Rue has developed integrated plans, programs, policies, training, and implementation strategies at the rural, urban, regional, and statewide level. He recently led development of guidebooks, tools, training, evaaluation tools, and technical assistance for US DOT, HUD, EPA, and CDC.

 

 

 

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Ryan Tam
Systems Planning Manager, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

Ryan Tam has been a Systems Planning Manager at the Honolulu Rail Transit Project since 2009.  He manages environmental permitting, bike-bus-rail integration, and other transportation planning efforts for the project.   Previously, he conducted public outreach and planning of the City’s Oahu Trans 2K Bus Rapid Transit effort.  He born and raised in Makiki, obtained a Doctorate in Urban Planning from MIT, and currently lives in Kakaako.

He rides a 2001 Fuji Finest-AL road bike.

 

 

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John White
Executive Director, Pacific Resource Partnership

As the Executive Director of Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP), Hawaii’s largest labor-management partnership, John White is responsible for developing long- and short-term strategic plans and programs that support unionized construction with a focus on the organization’s commitment to a more sustainable Hawaii. His role includes collaborating with new and existing partners and identifying prime markets for growth in order to cultivate a thriving industry, thereby ensuring a healthy state economy and improving the quality of life for Hawaii residents.

Prior to joining PRP, John held extensive leadership roles in the private, public and non-profit sectors. He established himself as a valuable resource as Chief of Staff to U.S. Congresswoman Mazie Hirono and as a trusted legislative aide to former Honolulu Councilmember Duke Bainum. John also served as the Executive Director of the Atherton YMCA and as a project manager for a land-use consulting firm.

John serves on the Boards of Directors for the YMCA of Honolulu, Pacific Links Hawaii Foundation and Move Oahu Forward, and is a steering committee member for Rail-Volution, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming America’s cities into integrated communities where people have transportation choices.

 

Protected Bike Lane meeting

Tuesday 9/1  6pm at Blaisdell Center, Hawaii Suite

Eight months after opening the King Street protected bike lanes experience has been overwhelmingly positive. As of June, cycling rates were up 79% (from 381 to 720 in a 12 hour count). People bicycling on the sidewalk had decreased from 70% to 9%.

With the King Street protected bike lane, Honolulu joined 70 other American cities embracing protected bike lane design in use in Europe for decades. The real power in protected bike lanes is that they make bicycling accessible to the masses. National surveys have found around two-thirds of people would like to bicycle more, but need bikeways protected from cars to feel comfortable cycling. HBL’s survey of bicyclists and potential bicyclists on Oahu found that 77% preferred protected bike lanes or bike paths.

The King Street protected bike lane is just the start of a network needed to truly make cycling accessible. A Minimum Grid of protected bike lanes that bring one within a half-mile of everyone in Honolulu and one-mile of everyone in urbanized Oahu is needed to make cycling safe, convenient, and accessible.

The opportunity to transform Honolulu shouldn’t be understated. Starting in 2009, Washington DC started investing big in protected bike lanes, working to build a network. In the four subsequent years cycling rates increased from 2.5% to 5% of commute trips. This is a long way from the 45% bicycle rate of Copenhagen, but it’s headed in the right direction.

The City knows that we need a Minimum Grid of protected bike lanes and will be revealing their plans to begin building this network at a September 1, 2015 public meeting. A key part of this is the City’s commitment to construct at least one new protected bike lane each year in 2015 and 2016.

Come to the Tuesday 9/1/15 6:00pm meeting at Neil S. Blaisdell Center, Hawaii Suite to show your support for the implementation a Minimum Grid of protected bike lanes that will make cycling truly accessible to all. 

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