HONOLULU (KHON2) — This Saturday, Aug. 9, volunteers from the Hawaii Bicycling League and the American Public Works Association, Hawaii Chapter, will be repairing bike lanes along Ward Avenue.
The Hawaii Bicycling League is a nonprofit organization that has been ensuring bikers’ safety island-wide for the past 50 years. Their mission is to educate the community on biking safely by providing a variety of free workshops.
The project is facilitated through the city’s Malama O Ka Aina volunteer program.
Volunteers will repair damaged or missing traffic delineators, which are essential to bikers’ safety on the road.
“We are big supporters of whenever we can get protected bike lanes with the bollards or delineators,” Travis Counsell, Hawaii Bicycling League executive director, said. “Any time we can get that infrastructure, it does encourage a safer, more dedicated space for people to bike, which makes the road safer for everybody.”
As a bike rider, there are things you can do to ensure a safe and smooth ride when bike lanes are not provided.
“Often we are confined to the space we have, and we need to make that roadway work for everybody out there,” Counsell said.
It is important to be predictable on the roadways, make eye contact with drivers, and remember that it is illegal to drive a bike at night without a front light and at least a red reflective light on the back.
The Hawaii Bicycling League does daily helmet and light giveaways in partnership with the police department to save bike riders from paying a ticket, or a hospital bill.
As more bikes are hitting the road for people’s daily commute, e-bikes have become a popular mode of transportation.
According to a UC San Francisco study, it was found that e-bike injuries drastically increased from 751 in 2017 to 23,493 in 2022.
This upcoming Saturday, Aug. 9, the HBL will be hosting a free e-bike 101 class for those looking to learn more about E-bikes and how to operate them safely on the road.
So, remember that before you buy, learn how to ride.
For more information, please visit the HBL website for workshop registration and bicycle safety.