Honolulu Earns Honorable Mention as “Bicycle Friendly City”

Mayor Mufi Hannemann today announced that the City’s efforts to improve its “bicycle friendly” status have been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists.

 The organization has awarded Honolulu with an Honorable Mention in its Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) program. 

The Honorable Mention is presented only to communities on the cusp of earning a Bicycle Friendly Community award. “You should be proud of this accomplishment,” said Bill Nesper, director of the BFC program. “Congratulations on your progress in creating a bicycle-friendly community.”

Mayor Hannemann said, “Pedestrian and bicycle-friendly communities are an important part of the City’s new sustainability plan. We need a multi-modal approach to transportation and being able to use bicycles safely and conveniently for short trips will be a critical component.”

The Bicycle Friendly City program, initiated in 2003, has received applications from more than 174 communities. The League represents the interests of 57-million American cyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. League Executive Director Andy Clarke said, “It is important to recognize communities as they begin to build bicycle friendliness into their network.” 

In fact, the City’s recently released sustainability plan calls for the completion of an islandwide Bikeway Master Plan by 2008.

            City planners are also integrating bike paths and pedestrian routes into the plans for proposed transit oriented development around the new rail transit stations. 

            “We see the rail project as an opportunity to improve and revitalize many of our urban areas,” said the mayor. “By designing for people and bicycles instead of automobiles, we can restore the heart and human scale to some of our most important communities.”

            The City’s sustainability plan focuses on alternative energy use, conservation, environmental protections, and more self-sufficiency. The plan is available online at: www.honolulu.gov/mayor.

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Contact:

Bill Brennan, 527-6928