Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I really think more people should pick up a bicycle now and then. Especially people who live in the congested areas of town. It's called exercise people, try it out! It's not that bad! If Honoluluians could get into bicycling more, I think that would really help the traffic problem downtown.
Once they get that light rail up and going, it should clear up some traffic. Amazing how people are so dependent on their car here. Hawaii has a very progressive population, but it has a long way to go.
I really think more people should pick up a bicycle now and then. Especially people who live in the congested areas of town. It's called exercise people, try it out! It's not that bad! If Honoluluians could get into bicycling more, I think that would really help the traffic problem downtown.
Once they get that light rail up and going, it should clear up some traffic. Amazing how people are so dependent on their car here. Hawaii has a very progressive population, but it has a long way to go.
So true. I find it walkable.
I stayed at an apartment on Nuuanu Avenue (about 1-1.5 km north of downtown), and I walked all the way to Waikiki Beach on a small number of occassions. About 5 miles total. Granted I'd take the bus back.
I don't think many locals would walk that though. On a bike though, that would be a breeze.
I really think more people should pick up a bicycle now and then. Especially people who live in the congested areas of town. It's called exercise people, try it out! It's not that bad! If Honoluluians could get into bicycling more, I think that would really help the traffic problem downtown.
Honolulu is the most bike-unfriendly place I've ever lived, and that includes New England, where the weather sucks for biking. I have no explanation for it, but I will say that I would happily bike to work nearly every day, if I didn't fear for my life during nearly every moment of the ride. No bike lanes, no bike paths through downtown or near the university. Yeah, lots of people ride on the sidewalks, but I really really really hate that.
Right now, my bike is rusting away from lack of use. And I don't think it'll get used as long as I live here. I just don't have the stones for riding in this city.
Hotzcatz Wrote: "I dunno, Spammusubi, all the cars on the eroding hillsides around here weren't put there on purpose. This one was "installed" last week......."
Hotzcatz, I asked a neighbor whose family is from Kohala. She told me the cars imbedded in cliffs and now exposed due to erosion (which I referenced in a previous post) are located just a few klicks east of Hawi at Kauhola Point. Near the lighthouse. Apparently they are actually vehicles and equipment of all sorts discarded during the demise of the sugar cane industry in the area. I was incorrect in assuming they might be vehicles from other islands. Sorry about that.
Honolulu is the most bike-unfriendly place I've ever lived, and that includes New England, where the weather sucks for biking. I have no explanation for it, but I will say that I would happily bike to work nearly every day, if I didn't fear for my life during nearly every moment of the ride. No bike lanes, no bike paths through downtown or near the university. Yeah, lots of people ride on the sidewalks, but I really really really hate that.
Right now, my bike is rusting away from lack of use. And I don't think it'll get used as long as I live here. I just don't have the stones for riding in this city.
I completely agree with you - Honolulu has got to be one of the most bike unfriendly places I've ever lived (San Francisco, Chicago, Sydney, Portland).
The roads aren't nearly wide enough in parts to support a bike, I see some try it on Kapiolani Blvd on the way to work and half the time they can't get around the cars - or they bike on the sidewalk nearly mowing down pedestrians. Pretty much everyone ignores that it is illegal in most of Honolulu to ride on the sidewalk.
I completely agree with you - Honolulu has got to be one of the most bike unfriendly places I've ever lived (San Francisco, Chicago, Sydney, Portland).
The roads aren't nearly wide enough in parts to support a bike, I see some try it on Kapiolani Blvd on the way to work and half the time they can't get around the cars - or they bike on the sidewalk nearly mowing down pedestrians. Pretty much everyone ignores that it is illegal in most of Honolulu to ride on the sidewalk.
I was an avid bike rider as a form of transportation when I lived there. I pretty much used my car to go to/from work and drive around the island - other than that I was either on my bike or on foot.
The only places it is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk is in Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. Other than that, you're fine.
And I almost always rode on the sidewalk (but treated myself as a pedestrian - waited at lights, respected others walking, etc). Safety is a SERIOUS issue. Almost every single time I rode on the street, I was almost mowed down - I specifically remember an instance where I pretty much bounced off the hood of a car and the guy just kept right on going - thankfully there were lots of bystanders that helped me out. For the most part, tourists have no freaking clue what they're doing when it comes to driving around the island.
The only places it is illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk is in Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. Other than that, you're fine.
Legal is not the same as safe (or appreciated by those of us using the sideWALKS for WALKing).
I walk my dog, who is super friendly but a bit skittish. Bikes come by FAST and she is likely to bolt in either direction. Imagine she & I jump to opposite sides of the walk... the leash clotheslines the rider, and we all end up hurt. Super fun!
A good friend has twin kids and is often pushing two strollers on the sidewalk, and has frequently been nearly sideswiped by cyclists. She's really afraid to let the kids get out & walk, because they won't know to get out of the way fast enough and can get seriously hurt.
Riding in the street is dangerous to the cyclist, but riding on the sidewalk is super dangerous to the pedestrians. My solution is to say that my safety is too important to me to ride in the streets, and others' safety is too important to me to ride on the sidewalks. So I don't ride. Period. It sucks, but there it is.
Honolulu is the most bike-unfriendly place I've ever lived, and that includes New England, where the weather sucks for biking. I have no explanation for it, but I will say that I would happily bike to work nearly every day, if I didn't fear for my life during nearly every moment of the ride. No bike lanes, no bike paths through downtown or near the university. Yeah, lots of people ride on the sidewalks, but I really really really hate that.
Right now, my bike is rusting away from lack of use. And I don't think it'll get used as long as I live here. I just don't have the stones for riding in this city.
It's bike unfriendly because people never bike. If more people did it, more people would demand more bike lanes and education about bicyclists on the roadway. I agree it is very dangerous. I've only been biking for about a month and I've almost been killed about four times myself. I mostly ride downtown where the parking is non-existant.
People need to wake the heck up when they're driving! They need to become more observant drivers! Everyone has this "car is king" mentality here. There is so much potential for people to really get into a bike friendly culture here. Who likes traffic? No one! So what are we going to do about it? Nothing!
These are my observances from the short time I have been bicycling around the city. The Aloha spirit of the roadway is pretty much non-existant if you're a bicyclist. The worst offenders??? People making right turns right in freaking front of me causing me to slam on my brakes. They aren't paying attention to their surrounds whatsoever. They are in SUCH a hurry to pull into Longs or Safeway or wherever, that they can't slow down for one cyclist. SCARY. I truly feel that when I die, it will be at the hands of some driver here.
If people were educated about this in the driving test, i believe it could cause less accidents and less anti-bicyclist mentality. More PSAs or something...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
