Delay dismays bicyclists
| • | Illustration: City Council cuts money for plan |
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Young Street is a little like Honolulu's longest alley.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
For 1.7 miles it runs through the heart of Honolulu, serving dozens of small businesses, hundreds of low-rise residences and thousands of commuters every day.
From front to rear, Makiki residents Sancheres Betru, 12; Jordi Viela, 10; Kioky Basdor, 11; and Jace Viela, 12, ride down Young Street. The four ride their bikes to the beach almost every day. City plans to transform Young Street into a bicycle-friendly thoroughfare have been delayed, much to the dismay of the cycling community.
Somehow, though, it always seems outflanked and overshadowed by two of its more prestigious neighbors, King and Beretania streets.
Now, residents and other regular users say they're disappointed and frustrated that the street, named for John Young, an English sailor who jumped ship in 1790 and became a trusted companion and adviser to Kamehameha I, is going to have to wait at least another year for a long-overdue update.
The City Council last month killed money for the first phase of a revitalization and beautification plan that proponents say had the potential to transform Young Street into a first-of-its-kind "people priority" thoroughfare for pedestrians and bicyclists, with center-lane parking and its own mini-mall.
"The community has a long history of trying to get it upgraded, and this plan seemed very imaginative, well thought out and well done," said John Steelquist, chairman of the Makiki Neighborhood Board. "A one-year delay doesn't seem to be a big problem, as long as something worse doesn't happen in the meantime."
After studying the street for nearly two years, a city consultant recommended a plan that would move parking to the center lane and open up room on each side for more sidewalks, curbs, bike paths and trees .
The plan produced by consultant Belt Collins envisioned a street in which bicyclists and pedestrians could have the same kind of safe and quick passage across town that King Street and Beretania Street provide for automobiles.
City Council members, worried about a looming budget deficit, made the $3.7 million for the project's first phase from Thomas Square to Ke'eaumoku Street one of their first cuts.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
"At some point we should try it," said Council Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi. "But the feeling was that for this year we just couldn't afford it." Council members also were worried about rushing into a center-lane parking plan that hasn't been tried in Honolulu before, she said.
Kent Kiyabu, of Manoa, bikes everyday around town. Bicycle commuters are disappointed that the City Council cut money for the first phase of a project to transform Young Street into a thoroughfare for pedestrians and cyclists.
That's left bicyclists fuming.
David Cheever, a planner who bicycles 75 to 90 miles every week for both work and recreation, said the idea of converting Young Street into a major bikeway is part of a Honolulu bicycling master plan passed nearly five years ago.
"We don't need any more planning at this point. We need implementation," Cheever said.
Bicycle commuters have long needed a way to move safely between downtown Honolulu and the University of Hawai'i-Manoa, said John B. Kelley, president of the Hawai'i Bicycling League.
"It's particularly troubling that the council interrupted a process that was making progress and had a real sense of accomplishment and momentum," he said.
Kelley said politicians think of bicyclists as a small group and often don't see the bigger picture of how bicycle improvements can benefit all residents by reducing traffic congestion.
"Young Street is the perfect opportunity," he said. "With a safe cross-town path, there would be a lot more people ... willing to commute on bicycle, and that would make more room for everybody."
The Young Street plan had a lot to offer non-bicyclists, Cheever said.
"It's going to change the whole area for the better," he said. "If I was a property owner there, I'd be thrilled."
One part of the proposal called for developing the street in such a way that it could be converted into a pedestrian mini-mall near the new Pawa'a Park and nearby senior citizen housing projects on weekends and holidays.
Traffic signals could be timed so that bicyclists — and automobiles — moving at a steady 15 mph pace could get all the way across town without stopping, planners said.
The most original idea called for moving parking to the center lane. Because there are many driveways and other curb cuts in the existing side areas, the more continuous center lane allowed planners to retain more than 80 percent of existing parking spaces, a major concern for businesses that line the street.
The proposal was approved by both the Makiki and Mo'ili'ili neighborhood boards, and supporters say they are not about to let the effort die. City officials say they have money in the budget to continue design work and will seek construction money next year.
"It's not going to fall off our radar screen," Kelley said. "We're going to be contacting council members on a regular basis to let them know how we feel."
