Creating a Safe Town to Windward Cycling Route

Staff Blog – Travis Counsell

** The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of the Hawaii Bicycling League. This is a staff blog entry. **

Please attend the informational meeting on Wednesday, July 26th at 6:30pm – More Information Here

With the Pali Highway scheduled for repaving in the upcoming years from N. Vineyard Blvd to Castle Junction (Kamehameha Highway/Auloa Rd Junction), we’re presented with an opportunity to create a much-needed safe passage for cyclists from Town to Windward Oahu. The route is currently popular among both recreational and commuting cyclists, but it isn’t for the timid.

Heading out of Town you have two options to get up to the Wyllie St overpass: up the Pali Access Way, or on Nuuanu Ave. The Pali Access Way is more direct, has some wide shoulder areas, and has no stop lights or parked cars, yet has higher traffic speeds and random curb jut-outs that push you into traffic. Nuuanu is a more residential street, but has cars traveling quickly and parked cars just waiting to pull out or open their doors. Neither option is perfect. I often find myself taking Pali due to the wide shoulder.

With the unfortunate and devastating death of David Niau on Nuuanu Ave in 2015, and the solutions meetings that followed, there has been a push to make Nuuanu Ave a more complete street; restriping the road after repaving to be more suitable for all users, not just cars. This could include bike lanes, pedestrian crossing islands, potentially small roundabouts and other traffic calming measures. If this comes to fruition, this would become the obvious preferred cycling route from Vineyard Ave up to the Pali Highway. I hope the safety of all road users, will outweigh the resistance over removal of some on-street parking. Embracing Complete Streets and reclaiming Nuuanu Ave as a residential street instead highway bypass, will result in a stronger community and more pleasant street.

Here is a link to the Complete Streets Implementation Study for Nuuanau Ave

As you head up the Pali Highway, the road goes from 2 lanes to 3 lanes as the Wyllie St overpass feeds in.

This is a residential section with a 35mph speed limit. However the 3 wide lanes encourage much faster driving speeds. Cars routinely travel 40-60mph during this section.

With zero shoulder, this makes for a very unpleasant 1.2 miles for people riding bicycles. Some decide to ride on the sidewalk (which disappears for small sections and isn’t very wide). I find myself using the full right lane, with multiple flashing rear lights, and trying to move as quickly as I can. Some people driving do not like this, as they using the right lane as a passing lane, but per Hawaii state law a person riding a bicycle may take the lane for safety when it is too narrow for a bicycle and vehicle to share the lane. After all, I am trying to get home safe and sound, just like them.

Hawaii DOT is considering narrowing those three lanes (currently 12+ feet each) in the residential section to a more agreeable width of 10′ or 11’. This will have multiple effects. Most notably, it will allow for a shoulder on the right side. While only 4 or 5 ft, this will be a vast improvement over the current nonexistent shoulder. Secondly, this will encourage cars to travel slower. Numerous studies have shown that by simply narrowing the lanes, people travel slower. Being closer to the car next to you makes it less desirable to speed. This might actually result in cars traveling the speed limit (35mph) along that section! But I’m really excited about the shoulder. I would love to see DOT mark these as an actual bike lane (like on Kalanianaole Hwy), but I have my doubts. Markings or not, this will create a safer riding environment from Wyllie St to Nuuanu Pali Road.

One can relax a little once the route veers right onto Nuuanu Pali Road. This quiet back road is great. While it is rather creepy and dark after sunset, it’s relatively lightly traveled and quite peaceful. This is already marked as a bike route and it certainly the preferred route.

The dense tree cover and moss covered roadway is a drastic difference to the three lane highway only 500 yards to the left. With the City’s recent repaving of Nuuanu Pali Road is it an even more enjoyable section. It’s a much-welcomed back road that comes to an end too quickly.

At the top of Nuuanu Pali Road, the route merges back onto the Pali Highway. The highway quickly shrinks down to 2 lanes from 3, and presents a great shoulder during the merge…

Only to fade into a very small 2-3’ shoulder that runs the remaining distance to the tunnels. This shoulder has plenty of room to be widened, while the lanes can also serve to be narrowed. DOT is discussing have an 8’ shoulder during this part. Much of this shoulder is already there, it’s just grass instead of pavement. This will be a very simple fix but present a much nicer riding situation.

At the top of the Pali Highway you have two choices. Ride through the tunnels, or take the Old Pali Highway from the lookout.

I often ride down through the tunnels and depending on the time of day, have no problem keeping up with traffic! Take the lane and let the cars pass you in the left lane. Remember this section is also 35mph, but I’ve never encountered a car going less than 45, unless it’s bumper to bumper traffic. An alternative route, to avoid the tunnels, is the Old Pali Highway, which leads down from the Pali Lookout. While it does require some carrying of your bike and descending a small ladder, the majority of the Old Pali Highway is a pleasant car-free abandoned highway. At the first traffic light (Castle Junction/Kamehameha Highway) the future repaving will meet up with a previous improvement and you’ll have a nice shoulder all the way down to Kailua. Or turn left and head to Kaneohe.

As I mentioned, this overall route is an important connection between Town and the Windward side. Some currently choose to take the bus over, or ride around Hawaii Kai (about 8 miles further), but with simple improvements this could be a great route that would only increase its popularity. I also see this as a tourist benefit. More and more people are riding bikes on vacation, and it’s important to have safe and planned routes to send them on. Currently the Pali Lookout is only accessible by private car or tour bus. The public bus doesn’t stop anywhere near there and it the route is currently not bicycle friendly. By improving Nuuanu Ave / Pali Highway to be a more bicycle friendly route, this provides another way for tourists to access a great site, in a far more rewarding way than driving there!

At this point all these improvements are just discussion, nothing set in motion. I’m hoping DOT goes above and beyond on this project, but it will take persistence and encouragement from organizations like HBL, the residents who live along this area, and the community as whole. These improvements benefit all users of the road. Fewer crashes, safer streets, and a more livable community. We need to design the streets with the future in mind. Now’s the time to make the change we want to see. I encourage you to send a letter to DOT, your representative, the newspaper, and anyone else who’s willing to listen! Let’s not let this opportunity go to waste. Also let’s not stop with this project! Every project should be a complete street project and always be improving the streets and way our communities are connected. Ride Aloha, Drive Aloha, Live Aloha.

Click Here for Hawaii DOT Contact Information – Pali Highway Improvements

Click Here for Honolulu Dept. of Transportation Services Contact Information – Nuuanu Ave Improvements

Please attend the informational meeting on Wednesday, July 26th at 6:30pm – More Information Here

Wishing You A Wheely Good Holiday Season!

We hope you’re able to enjoy time with family and go for a bike ride! Burn off those extra calories!

We’ve been on our best behavior this year – always riding with our helmets on, pushing for more bike lanes, and working hard to help more people bike. We hope that Santa or his holiday menehune could put a few of these things on our list under our Christmas palm tree this holiday season (or drop them off at the HBL office)! Mahalo and Mele Kalikimaka, from our HBL family to yours!

HBL Holiday Wishlist:

iPhones or 3G enabled iPads (new or gently used)

• For course marshals during our large events, out of office credit card donations, and more.

Apple iMac desktop computer or laptop

• As we grow, we need more workstations.

Mid-sized Refrigerator 

• More space for staff brown bag lunches! Need a bit more fridge space. If you have a fridge larger than a mini-fridge, but not exactly full size, we’d love it!

Silent Auction donations

• For the HBL Annual Members Dinner & Fundraiser

Cargo bike or other unique bikes

• We’re looking to create a bicycle-power system, which involves a cargo bike.

Good relationships between all users of the road!

• Donate or Renew to help support our efforts!