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This year, Hawaii Bicycling League’s BikeEd program turns 35! You may be one of the 100,000 residents who went through the program in elementary school. But, for those unfamiliar, BikeEd is a 5-day course that teaches 4th grade students how to ride a bicycle, basic cycling safety, and laws of the road. Each year, HBL’s trained BikeEd instructors teach 8,000 students and serve more than 100 schools. We chatted with HBL’s Executive Director, Travis Counsell, to learn more about this successful program, and how BikeEd has benefited our community.
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Bicycling League
Photo courtesy of Hawaii Bicycling League
Q: Why is it important to encourage children to start riding bikes early?
Counsell: Riding a bicycle is a skill that can be enjoyed throughout life. There is ample research to suggest that staying active and healthy can have lifelong benefits, so best to start those habits early. By providing education during the formative years, we hope to create a solid foundation for smart, safe, and frequent bicycle riders.
Q: Is there a reason 4th graders are chosen to complete the course?
Counsell: 4th grade was chosen as that is the age where most children have learned how to bike, and some are starting to ride their bikes to school. The BikeEd program teaches the students how to safely ride their bikes to school, and teaches how to ride a bicycle for those who do not know how to ride.
Q: How does youth bike education benefit the community?
Counsell: Safe riding not only benefits the person riding the bicycle, but creates a safer community at large. We teach students to be more predictable in their riding, and be aware of the environment around them. Ideally these students continue incorporating bicycles into their lives as they get older, which will also lead to healthier communities. Graduates of the BikeEd program are now in City Council, State Legislature, and many other positions. By incorporating bikes into their education, ideally they'll have a broader understanding of how to support communities where there are safe and accessible options for people to walk, bike, and roll.
Q: How can a school enroll in this program?
Counsell: We work directly with 4th grade teachers at public, private and charter schools to schedule the 5 day course. We are currently at capacity, but do have a waitlist in case we have an opening. We also are expanding to offer summer programming. Interested schools or programs can reach out to bikeed@hbl.org.
Q: Anything else you want to share about this program?
This program is primarily funded through the City's Department of Transportation Services, however we do seek donations to help offset additional costs. This year is BikeEd Hawaii's 35th Anniversary! Perhaps you went through the program, or have a child that did, or just want to see more kids biking to school. We'd love to have your support. Learn more at hbl.org/bikeed35
Like most new things, it's generally easier to get started when you're a kid. However, if you never learned or went through the program, haven't been on a bike in a long time, or just want to refresh your knowledge and skills, Hawaii Bicycling League has plenty of FREE (or donation-based) workshops for residents of all ages and skill levels.
- Adult Learn to Ride - bikes provided
- Bicycling Basics
- Road Cycling Skills
- Intro to E-Bikes - e-bikes provided
- Senior Trike Rides (50+) - trikes provided
Want to participate but don't have a bike to use? HBL provides equipment for those participating in both the Adult Learn to Ride and Intro to E-Bike workshops. If you want to use a Biki bike during a workshop, please email kelsey@bikesharehawaii.org to request a complimentary Biki pass (while supplies last).
We recently installed a Biki Stop outside of Planet Fitness at Ala Moana Shopping Center! PF is welcoming us to the neighborhood by offering riders an amazing deal through July 20. Ride on over to their fitness center off Kapiolani Boulevard and get access to their clean and spacious Judgement Free Zone for only $1 down and $10 per month.
Planet Fitness Ala Moana is also helping us celebrate the new Biki Stop and Bike Month with free snacks and refreshments for cyclists at our Energizer Station on 7/19. Ride by the Planet Fitness Biki Stop from 3:30 - 6pm! Learn more at GoBiki.org/BikeMonth
Since the start of the 2022 legislative session on Jan. 19, lawmakers have introduced 2,546 bills. Several of the state bills introduced are transportation-related and will impact mobility and safety on Oahu. Bikeshare Hawaii has recently submitted testimony in support of the following five state bills.
Permits a bicyclist to proceed through an intersection from a right turn only lane if they cannot safely merge into the thru traffic lane, provided they signal intention to merge left. Permits a bicyclist to proceed in a right turn only lane when approaching an intersection, even if they do not intend to turn right, provided that they do not pass a stopped vehicle and that they exercise reasonable safety when passing a moving vehicle. Track the bill.
Why we support this: SB2299 will ‘legalize’ a common and safe traffic movement [cyclists proceeding straight ahead in a marked /signed right turn lane] that many bicyclists have to utilize on roadways that do not provide for a dedicated marked bike lane or bike box approaching an intersection.
Additionally, this change also helps improve pedestrian safety by shifting more cyclist traffic from utilizing sidewalks at arterial intersections.
Additionally, this change also helps improve pedestrian safety by shifting more cyclist traffic from utilizing sidewalks at arterial intersections.
Update: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to Judicial
SB3274 will establish the Multimodal Transportation Branch of the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation to increase funding, pursue grants, and work on projects focusing on safe, low user cost pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Track SB3274.
Update: Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. AND the committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS.
Establishes the Transportation Improvement and Modernization Commission to help ensure the Department of Transportation achieves states goals and outcomes while improving reporting to provide better transparency for elected leaders and the public. Track SB2834.
Update: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. AND the committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS.
SB2517 establishes a goal for the Department of Transportation to have an unspecified percentage of commuting trips be by bicycle or electric bike by 2030. Track SB2517.
Update: The committee on TRS deferred the measure for the 2022-2023 session.
SB 3255 would will appropriate funds for capital improvement projects in the Waianae district to address traffic mitigation. Such projects should include local transit enhancements, complete sidewalk network, enhanced intersections and protected bike lane. Track SB3255.
Update: Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
Legislative items (text and video) can be searched at this link: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/home.aspx
By Brendan Schultz, Biki Ambassador
I don’t know how to drive. I do not even know which pedal is the gas and which pedal is the brake. Thanks to Biki in Honolulu, there is no need for me to learn.
I was born into a military family in Hawaii and spent my childhood bouncing around the United States and world. For my final year of high school, a time when most teenagers are learning how to drive, I found myself in Macedonia, a small country in Southeastern Europe that most people have never heard of.
As a consequence of living in Macedonia, I never learned how to drive at the time most teenagers are getting their license tests. Now living back in Hawaii, the Biki system makes Honolulu one of the most livable cities to go car-less. Within the urban core, I am rarely more than a three-minute walk away from a Biki station. There is a station next to nearly every major destination – from the Blaisdell Center to grocery stores.
Riding a bike from one place within the city to another, when taking into account the time it takes to find parking, takes about the same amount of time needed to drive. I do not have to worry about my personal bike being stolen, or if my plans change and I catch a ride home with a friend instead. My transportation costs are fifteen dollars a month; the increasing price of gas is something I never have to be concerned about nor is the high cost and availability of parking. I have the opportunity to exercise while getting around. And most beneficial, the feeling I get when biking by the ocean with the breeze flowing through my hair makes living in paradise all the much better.
With a constantly expanding network of stations and bike lanes throughout Honolulu, I urge you to try making Biki your primary form of transportation for even just a week. You won’t regret it.
By Jasmine Utu, Biki Ambassador
I’m currently here in American Samoa for work and have been for the past month. After 30 days, you start to realize the normalcies and routine that you actually have. Mine definitely included biki (along with Moku Kitchen, but that’s another story). I started to have “withdrawals”.
For most of the island, transportation is either done by car or by mini-buses (Tacoma size pick-up trucks with campers going around the island to pick up students and residents). I saw a few individuals on bicycles and noticed their rides were to the next couple of houses or so. Which makes sense because roads aren’t as well maintained, and bike lanes are non-existent.
I realized how lucky I am to be able to have convenient options at my disposal for commuting and recreating. It is a privilege. Choices that I can pick and choose to get from where I am to where I want, or need, to be. And not only that, but to be able to bikeshare nonetheless.
I work in tech and to think of bikesharing as a piece of modernization was something I hadn’t given much thought because I was so familiar with it as part of my everyday life. But if you’ve never had the option to bikeshare, you’d never know what you’re missing out on. However, living in a community that has those opportunities, it’s made me more grateful and more motivated to share it with others.
In places like American Samoa, many of the roads are one way in and one way out, rural, and loaded with trucks and cars piling in line just to get to a village less than 5-10 miles away. Progressing technology and enriching communities doesn’t have to look too futuristic and lose the heart of the home. It could be simplistic. Paved roads, bike lanes, and reliable bikes. Island-sized areas with less unnecessary car congestion, adding a more sustainable commute, and increasing an active lifestyle, all while matching the pace of life.
Many residents said engineering the roads to be less overgrown and keeping them maintained to sustain resilience against weather conditions, would be a step towards the modernization necessary for their home and community. It’s the little things that can have such a big impact. Imagine even our own Oahu with more bike lanes, bike stations, bikesharing, and maintained roads? I think we can all agree perfectly maintained roads and paths sounds blissful. Sometimes it takes getting out of your own neighborhood and comfortable schedule to gain a little perspective and inspiration.
For now, it’s baby steps towards seeing a future that I want for Honolulu and the rest of Hawaii. It’s using what’s already in my hands. Time and amateur skill to teach a friend how to ride a bike, get someone going on their first biki experience, gather a group of friends to get out and ride to your favorite beach spot, or just talk to people in my workplace and community about bikeshare. It’s funny how biking can elevate a conversation to many directions – nostalgia, jitters and butterflies of trying it, new thoughts, considerations, and the classic debate… pronouncing biki as "beekee" or "bick-ee".
Despite how I choose to say it, I’m grateful for the opportunity to biki, to have it in my city, and to have the privilege to share it with others. A classic piece of technology to restore a neighborhood and progress a community.
To celebrate the season of giving, we're teaming up with Hawaii Bicycling League to give away FREE helmets! We have over 150 bicycling and multi-sport helmets to distribute, ranging in size from toddler to adult XXL.
We'll be setting up at The Barn at SALT Kakaako (327 Keawe St, Honolulu) on Wednesday, December 1 between 4pm -6:30pm.
SALT Kakaako is conveniently located by Biki Stop #204 (Auahi & Keawe).
To qualify for a free helmet:
- Participate in a brief helmet fitting to ensure it fits properly.
- Show proof of Biki Membership (Biki App or Biki Card), or, bring your own bike!
Must be present to receive a helmet and only one per person. Available while supplies last. No purchase necessary.
Don't have a bike or biki membership?
The Biki Crew will be on hand to help you sign up for a membership. Proof of Hawaii residence is required to sign up for Kama'aina Plans. Browse our plan offerings here.
WHAT ELSE TO EXPECT:
- Got any questions or concerns about safe biking in Hawai‘i? Get the answers from the experts at the Hawaii Bicycling League
- Learn about bike routes that are right for your ride (or check out HBL's O‘ahu Bike Map here)
- Meet and talk story with some of our Biki Ambassadors who can share some special tips & tricks with you on getting the most out of your Biki rides!
- Pick up some extra cycling swag (reflective goodies & more)
- Find out what exciting bike events are coming up that you & your friends can be a part of!
EVENT SPONSORS
Helmets were donated by the Hawaii Department of Health, Neurotrauma Program. This event is brought to you by Bikeshare Hawaii, Hawaii Bicycling League, Better Bike Share Partnership, and SALT at our Kakaako.
Why bikeshare should be part of every resident's transportation diet
By Morgan Pōmaikaʻi Lee, 2021 Biki Ambassador
Any of these situations sound familiar?
- You've circled around for 10 minutes looking for parking before settling for a spot a 15-minute walk from your destination.
- You've decided not to attend something because you don't want to spend $20 to park.
- You're going to carpool to hang out on the other side of the island with friends but they want you to meet them at their house and you don't want to leave your car there all day.
- Your bike, your primary mode of transportation, has a flat tire.
- You wanted to bike there, but it's going to be really inconvenient to return that way after you do your grocery shopping.
- You're spending too much money on gas.
- You can take TheBus, but the route isn't direct and takes twice as long with all the frequent stops.
- You're going to arrive together but don't want the pressure of leaving when everyone else does.
- The prices of ridesharing apps turned nightmarish seemingly overnight.
If you nodded your head in frustration to any of these scenarios, I feel your pain. Most of us don't think we devote significant amounts of mental energy to transportation, but working through the logistics of getting here and there can easily turn into spending 30 extra minutes on Google Maps and texting our friends. As a bike owner who doesn't have my own car, one of the biggest hacks of my adult life has my bikeshare membership. Time and time again, bikeshare has offered my friends and I alternatives, solutions, and back-ups without us having to spend more money or waste time problem solving. And, when we're not just turning to bikes to overcome any of these logistical obstacles, incorporating Biki into our daily lives keeps the cost of living down on an expensive island.
As a reminder: Kama'āina pay as little as $15 per month for unlimited access to bikes at over 130 Biki Stops across downtown Honolulu. If you're a Hawaii resident and haven't taken advantage of this deal yet, I urge you to sign up ASAP.
We are now recruiting 10 enthusiastic individuals to be Biki Ambassadors. This program is sponsored by a mini-grant funded by the Better Bike Share Partnership.
RECENT UPDATES
Updates: July 26th event has been CANCELLED due to the possible threat of Hurricane Douglas.
Kalakaua Open Streets Sundays has been extended through July due to the popularity of the program. The pilot program will also be extended to Hotel Street in Chinatown on July 11 from 4pm - 9pm.
Open streets
"Open Streets" are programs that temporarily close roads normally reserved for vehicular traffic and instead open them up to walkers, bikers and joggers. This concept has been implemented across the globe, especially through this pandemic, to encourage residents to get outdoors and exercise, while still being able to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Honolulu's pilot program launched the morning of Sunday, June 14 on Kalakaua Ave in Waikiki and has since been extended through July. These weekly events attract residents from across the island excited by the opportunity to ride or walk safely along this iconic street.
@fabian.petrina
Participants have also been encouraged to visit and support local businesses to help stimulate the local economy. This Saturday, Chinatown businesses will be invited to fill up sidewalks and expand their outdoor seating to offer outdoor dining.
OPEN STREET EVENT DATES:
- Sunday, June 14: 6am - 12pm
- Sunday, June 21: 6am - 12pm
- Sunday, June 28: 6am -12pm
- Sunday, July 5: 6am - 12pm
- Saturday, July 11: 4pm - 9pm HOTEL STREET
- Sunday, July 12: 6am - 12pm
- Sunday, July 19: 6am -12pm
- Sunday, July 26: 6am - 12pm - CANCELED
EVENT GUIDELINES:
- Physical distancing is required between each family and congregating is prohibited.
- Masks/face coverings should be worn to the extent possible.
- Bikers must yield to pedestrians and are to ride to the closest of the center of the road. Joggers and walkers use the outside of the road and sidewalks.
- Please ride at a comfortable, slow, and safe pace.
- Riders must be at least 16 years of age to use Biki.
- More details.
Waikiki road closure:
Kalakaua Ave - Seaside to Kapahulu
CHINATOWN Road closure:
Hotel Street - River to Richards
RESOURCES:
- Biki resident rates are only available on GoBiki.org and the Biki App.
- Visitor passes may be purchased at any Biki Stop kiosk.
- Check out our system map to find a nearby station.
- Bathrooms: HPD Waikiki Substation, Queens Beach, Kapiolani Park
- Parking: Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Waikiki Shell, Kapiolani Park, Waikiki Zoo
OPEN STREETS - BIKI DEALS
The Sunrise Shack is supporting Open Street Sundays by offering 10% off your total order! Stop by for a bullet coffee and smoothie bowl.
Address: 2335 Kalakaua Ave
Hours: 6am - 8pm
To redeem, simply mention the Biki discount and show your Biki Pass, App or Biki kiosk receipt. Offer is ongoing.
The Open Street Sundays initiative, organized by The City and County of Honolulu and the Hawai‘i Bicycling League, was inspired by other cities across the globe who are repurposing streets during a time of low vehicular traffic. Montreal has announced plans to build over 200 miles of new pedestrian and bike paths this summer and Rome will be constructing 93 miles of temporary and permanent bike routes. In addition, New Orleans, San José, Las Vegas, and Boston are helping restaurants recover by laying the groundwork for outdoor dining spaces. (Source: NACTO)
GET INVOLVED:
- Share your Open Street Bikigrams with us! Follow us @GoBikiHI.
- Volunteer as a Bicycling Ambassador with Hawaii Bicycling League
Photo Credit: Cy Miyashiro,
@cy_min
@cy_min
A huge mahalo to rider Chris T, who recently adopted a Biki! As the adopter of 1 of our 1300 bikes, Chris provided an inscription "One less car on the road HBL.org" that we placed on the bike's chain guard. He is now able to track his bike and its impacts through our online dashboard, which provides information about the number of riders served, emissions avoided, CO2 burned and miles traveled.
Why did you decide to adopt a Biki?
During this pandemic, my wife & I are fortunate to not have had our jobs or incomes impacted. We picked three charities to distribute our "Economic Impact Payment" who would do far more good with the funds than we would. Biki released details about a dropoff in ridership, and I don't want our local bikeshare to be another victim of this disease.
How did you choose your message?
I had initially tried some clever attempt at humor. My wife suggested something more serious, so we decided to highlight the value of having Biki available as an alternative to driving. We had a few extra characters, so we included the website of the Hawaii Bicycling League (hbl.org), which helps advocate for more biking infrastructure.
How does Biki benefit the community?
My neighborhood of Makiki is about 3 miles from the major work centers of downtown and Waikiki. This distance is a suitable amount to allow commuters to ride a bike instead of driving a car, and Biki provides this option to those who cannot own or store a bike themselves. Benefits of making this switch include reduced car traffic, increased exercise, and less fighting for parking.
Are you a Biki rider? And if so, what do you like about it?
While I have my own bike, I still find time to use Biki. Biki has the advantage for one-way bike trips, as well as for those where I'd worry about the security of my own bike. I had my lights stolen once, and it was an unpleasantly dark ride home.
All Adopt-a-Biki donations go to Bikeshare Hawaii, the 501(c)3 non-profit that manages the Biki program. These donations directly support community outreach, events, education workshops, and safety and access programming.