John Tanner says he knows how to help create an islandwide bicycle riding system that will benefit residents: – Make more bicycle paths and shoulders on roads. – Create a separate bicycle lane on Kuhio Highway between Lihu’e and Kapa’a
John Tanner says he knows how to help create an islandwide bicycle riding system that will benefit residents:
– Make more bicycle paths and shoulders on roads.
– Create a separate bicycle lane on Kuhio Highway between Lihu’e and Kapa’a town to encourage bicycle use as an alternate mode of transportation.
– Create a recreational site for bicycling.
Tanner, owner of the Bicycle John shop in Lihu’e, plans to offer his recommendations at a state Department of Transportation meeting at Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7. The meeting’s subject is the proposed upgrading of a statewide plan on bicycling.
With more people riding bicycles and raising the risk for accidents, DOT has proposed the revised plan to promote safety.
DOT representatives will ask citizens at next month’s meeting to identify potential new bikeways and areas hazardous to riding.
Similar meetings are being held on the other islands.
DOT must approve the plan before it can be implemented.
Tanner said the project seems good on the surface, but funding must be provided before the plan can be carried out. Otherwise, “it would be a waste of time,” he said.
The plan calls for the state and the county to provide about $230 million for 1,300 miles of new bikeways. Currently, there are a combined 87 miles of bikeways on Oahu, Maui, Kaua’i and Big Island. Oahu has the most (55 miles), while Kaua’i has about four miles, mostly along the coasts in Kapa’a and Po’ipu.
“Outside of those places, there is no safe place on the island for people to safely use their bicycles as an alternate mode of transportation,” Tanner said.
For Kaua’i, the proposed plan calls for the development of 173 miles of bikeways – mostly in Lihu’e, Kapa’a, Po’ipu and Koloa – at a cost of $61 million.
The state proposes building 103 miles of the Kaua’i paths at a cost of $23 million. Kaua’i County would be responsible for building 63.1 miles at a cost of $15.2 million, according to DOT. Another seven miles would be built at a cost of $1. 6 million by either the state or the county. Federal funds also would be used.
Before any bikeways can be put on Kuhio Highway in Kapa’a, major portions of the roadway must be widened, DOT officials said.
DOT sees potential for a 16-mile coastal bike path from Kapa’a to Lihu’e.
Three years ago, community leaders discussed the project from Nawiliwili Harbor to Anahola. The plan includes a three-mile section at Lydgate Park.
Tanner said little progress has been made, partly because of a desire by some islanders to include all potential users of the trails, including horse riders, walkers and skateboarders. Their needs could be accommodated after the bicycle/pedestrian path is completed, Tanner said.
DOT also said bikeway improvements are needed around Po’ipu and the North Shore, among the top visitor destinations.
To expedite the bicycle plan for Kaua’i, the government should dispense with red tape, Tanner said.
“Some of the plans they have are grandiose. They need to focus on simple things, like putting more shoulders on the road,” he said.
DOT should have government employees on Kaua’i work on developing “infrastructure” for bicycle riding, much as they do on Oahu, Maui and Big Island, Tanner urged.
Since the statewide bicycle plan was adopted in 1977, interest in using bicycles as a means of transportation, recreation and fitness has jumped, reports DOT. In 1977, Hawai’i had 992,300 residents and 84,148 registered bicycles for a ratio of 8.4 bicycles per 100 persons. Thirteen years later (1990), with a population of more than 1.2 million and 117,451 registered bicycles, the number of bicycles had increase 40 percent to 33,303.
O’ahu, with the largest population of all the counties, has had the lowest number of bicycle accidents – 27 per 10,000 bicycles in 1990, the latest data available. The low number of accidents is apparently because of public education programs stressing bicycle safety, DOT officials said.
Kaua’i had 19 accidents per 1,272 bicycles in 1990.
DOT says bicycling helps reduce auto use and the need for new road construction and parking spaces. Bicycling also is healthy.
Since the decision to upgrade the bicycle plan, federal legislation was enacted for bicycle-related improvements through the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficient Act of 1991. Federal funds can be used for maintenance of state roads and highways, improvement of mass transportation systems and implementation of programs to reduce traffic congestion.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
