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+--- Thread: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo (/showthread.php?tid=1966)
RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - tada - 03-14-2008
I am a bike commuter on Oahu so I can't see what the problem riding in Puna- hopefully I'll be doing that 5 years from now. Just ignore the cars especially the "get off the road!" part. Then I go "thanks for not running me over." The good thing about getting run over by the ubiquitous Prius is you never know what hit you.
Other people want to make friends- I just want to make money.
James Cramer
RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - Hotzcatz - 03-14-2008
Is there any thoughts on bike paths when folks are making the future plans for their areas? I would think an "alternative vehicle" path would be a thing to ask for. Bicycles, electric golf carts, even donkey carts could use the "alt roads" and then hopefully there would be less dependence on gasoline vehicles. At the moment, there isn't any other option for any alternative vehicles except to run down the highway with the gas cars and many electric and alternative vehicles aren't suitable for that. We are limiting ourselves by only having a road suitable for one sort of vehicle.
Hey, let's get crazy and ask for light rail with an alternative vehicle path running alongside of it. Ha!
RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - John S. Rabi - 03-14-2008
There must be something wrong with Germany, France, Italy, England, etc. They do not allow bicycles on the highways. The USA is the only industrial country where you can bicycle on the highways in some states.
Aloha,
John S. Rabi ABR,CM,CRB,FHS,PB,RB
808.989.1314
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RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - Carey - 03-14-2008
The Hilo 2025 & Puna Developement plan do have dike & aNEV paths dicussed. With anything governmental, it is the number of people involved & perceived involved that count when these things get finalled. Even those off-island can help. For more infor on some of the groups needing advocates for trails & paths, check out these:
http://www.pathhawaii.org/
http://www.bikepaths.org/library/
http://www.hilobikehub.com/Trails/Trails.html
http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/activity/biecotrb.htm
http://www.bigislandraceschedule.com/PDF/BIKE-Tours&Clubs.pdf
RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - Guest - 03-14-2008
quote:
Originally posted by tada
I am a bike commuter on Oahu so I can't see what the problem riding in Puna- ...
The traffic that you are probably used to riding around in on Oahu is probably averaging about 25 miles per hour. When my wife was pregnant. I was riding my bike from Waikiki to the Airport area. It would take less then 20 minutes.
Considering that riding a bike around on Oahu can be faster than driving just because of the gridlock.
There probably isn't any problem with riding around in the General Town area of Pahoa, but you need to remember that PUNA is actually larger then the entire island of Oahu, so using a Bike as a primary form of transportation may be a bit different then it is here on Oahu.
The ride from Pahoa to Hilo is not one that I would recommend on a Daily basis.
RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - missydog1 - 03-14-2008
I wish there were bike paths!
My problem with bikes on highways without bike paths is pretty simple. The flow of traffic is 45-55 mph (and up) -- a speed beyond a bike's capability.
A bike has to ride off to the side or it slows down all the traffic. Now why any individual would feel entitled to slow down a hundred other people who also have the need to get somewhere (and gas burning ...) - I don't get. Therefore I do expect bicyclists to refrain from using a road unless they can do so without impeding the flow of automobile traffic.
Which means there has to be a consistent, ridable shoulder.
The trouble with the Hwy 11 portion of this drive, that I see, is that what shoulder there is could be dangerous because people drive erratically. I see people weaving all over the road. I don't whether they're drunk, or stoned, or bad drivers, but if I were a bicyclist I wouldn't want to be trusting my life to the assumption that everyone can drive in a nice straight line like they ought to. Especially in the kind of rain intensity that hits that road.
Taking the bike to town on the bus sounds like a much better plan.
RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - buyag - 03-14-2008
THank you all for your thoughts. I must say that I am dismayed to hear from a few folks that they think bikes should not be on the road. Just to be clear, rarely do cyclists take a lane of traffic, only when they must (as in the case when there is no shoulder, usually on streets with low speeds). I do not advocate riding on highways/interstates but think that 11 is a reasonable road to ride, given the shoulder and that it is not a "freeway" with on and off ramps, but a road with cross traffic and lights. I will continue to investigate the situation on 130, as I understand that the shoulder is used for traffic during the morning commute times. Yes, the rain complicates matters. I have much experience with this from bike commuting in Vancouver (also rainy like Hilo, but also COLD).
Glad that there are folks out there who are advocates for finding alternative ways for us to get around in the area of Puna and Hilo, single driver cars are just not going to cut it. Would be great if there were an alternate route (instead of 130), perhaps developing railroad into an alternative for non-motorized traffic?
RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - Guest - 03-14-2008
quote:
Originally posted by buyag
I must say that I am dismayed to hear from a few folks that they think bikes should not be on the road....
Don't be dismayed. I think they were just thinking of the overall safety of you.
I'm sure you can ride a bike good. I just don't think we have much confidence in other drivers.[^]
RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - james weatherford - 03-14-2008
Definitely, my own comments were NOT about bikes being bad!
The opposite.
The ROADS are the PROBLEM -- safety, connectivity, all of it! the roads HPP-to-Hilo, IMHO, are NOT SAFE for bicycling.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
RE: Bike Commuting from HPP to Hilo - hikatz - 03-14-2008
I would not recommend your husband bicycling, there are many accidents on that highway.And incidents here and in Kona of bicyclist's deliberately being run of the road.