Bills moving through Legislature would pave way for bicycle, pedestrian Hawaii

The Maui News
Sunday, March 11, 2007
VIEWPOINT by Rep. JOE BERTRAM III

Every November for the last 30 years, Eddie Pu has walked all the way around the Maui coast. He takes a bag with clothing, trail mix and water, traveling the nearly 200 miles on foot and using a different route each time. Along the way, he'll stop to pick and fashion a ti leaf into a headband, hike past Hotel Hana-Maui and Maui's famous beaches or observe the plants growing along what used to be the King's Highway.

Eddie's yearly walk around Maui should remind all of us of the importance of utilizing alternative methods of transportation such as walking and biking.

It's a shame that over the years we seem to have neglected the importance of walking. Walking is not only a cleaner method of transportation - it is the original method of transportation. The first Polynesians here crossed Hawaii's beaches and green valleys on foot. Like Eddie, they observed the wonders of nature around them, listening to the sounds of the wind and stopping to gather plants that could cure all sorts of aches and pains.

Sounds better than circling around to find space in a crowded parking lot, doesn't it?

Last November, Oahu residents voted overwhelmingly to amend their City Charter to make their island a place where people of all ages can walk and bike easily, frequently and safely. At the beginning of the 2007 legislative session, I also introduced two measures encouraging walking and biking.

The first, HB1028, is in part inspired by Eddie himself. The bill designates the Piilani walking trail from Makena to Kapalua as a Hawaiian coastal cultural heritage corridor and sets aside funds to maintain and improve this important piece of history.

The second, HB497, earmarks at least 2 percent of federally eligible money from the state highway fund for the establishment of bikeways, bike paths and bike lanes whenever a highway, road or street is built or rebuilt.

There are many reasons why a more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly Hawaii makes sense.

First, designing roads and streets with pedestrians in mind is practiced by other cities. Oregon's "bike bill" is similar to the proposed HB497 in requiring bikeways along roads that are new or being rebuilt. Baltimore recently adopted the Baltimore City Bicycle Master Plan to make streets more bicycle-friendly. And many state and local governments are currently working with the Federal Highway Administration on the Safe Routes to School Program to encourage children, including those with disabilities, to safely walk and bicycle to school.

In Hawaii, we can follow the examples of other cities by incorporating spaces for walking and biking into road design. These roads would be long, fast, high-capacity roads.

Second, walking or biking is a great way to both protect and take advantage of our weather. Honolulu is ranked by the Environmental Protection Agency as one of the top 10 green cities in the U.S., with blue skies and clean air all year round. Sticking to the sidewalk instead of driving helps to cut carbon emissions and preserves the pristine beauty of our islands.

What's more, walking and biking provide health benefits. Many of these benefits are particularly relevant to Hawaii's population. Our state suffers from high rates of adult obesity and even higher rates of childhood obesity.

Thirty years ago, nearly half of all children walked or biked to school, but studies suggest that today fewer than 15 percent of children and adolescents use active modes of transportation. Now, over half of children arrive at school in cars or buses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest walking as part of an active lifestyle. This simple activity decreases your risks for heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and colon cancer. Even better, taking frequent walks is associated with an overall general sense of well-being.

Unfortunately, the recent slew of pedestrian fatalities reminds us that Hawaii still has a way to go toward becoming the pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly place it could be.

According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Hawaii has the fourth-highest pedestrian fatality rate in the United States. Our average, 2.65 deaths per 100,000 people, places us higher than the national average of 1.67. Honolulu also has the highest pedestrian fatality rate for people over age 65.

Recent pedestrian deaths should serve as an impetus to enact and enforce better pedestrian safety laws and to build better walkways and bikeways. Let's create communities that ensure the safety of Hawaii's citizens while encouraging them to opt for alternative modes of transportation.

The next time you get into the car for a short trip to the store or to pick up the kids from school, I hope the story of Eddie Pu will inspire you to stop and think. There is an alternative. Eddie would walk.

Rep. Joe Bertram III, Democrat, represents Maui's 11th District, which includes Makena, Wailea and Kihei.