The City and County of Honolulu could crack down on bikers who ride on sidewalks in certain areas of town.
A new bill moving through the city council is trying to clean up the language in the city’s traffic code, which says that bikes are not allowed on sidewalks in business districts.
But the term "business district” isn’t clearly defined, which has made it difficult for the Honolulu Police Department to enforce the law.
Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who introduced the bill, said the bill would clean up the language by specifying that bikes are not allowed on sidewalks in parts of Waikīkī, downtown, and Chinatown special districts.
“If a bicyclist goes down a sidewalk in a residential area and then the next block happens to be a business zone, the rider would not know that, neither would HPD,” Dos Santos-Tam said. “By clarifying these districts and creating a structure where we actually clarify what a business district is, we can do this.”
Other councilmembers said they want to prohibit bikes on all sidewalks, regardless of location. They mentioned the increase in e-bike incidents and said they want to do what they can to limit those injuries and fatalities.
Many testifiers supported the bill’s intent to limit bike usage on sidewalks, while others noted that bike lanes have become dangerous for cyclists, which has pushed them to use sidewalks.
The bill passed first reading and will be heard at the next Transportation Committee meeting.
