Gov. Josh Green last week issued an emergency order in response to soaring road fatalities across the state. Last week, the statewide number was more than 90. Over the weekend, that number hit 62 on Oʻahu.
The Conversation spoke with Travis Counsell, the head of the Hawaiʻi Bicycling League, on Friday. He's glad that road safety is getting more attention.
"Every single one of these 94 people so far this year has a story behind it. They're a loved one. They're a family member. They're a community member," he said.
"Unfortunately, all too often, it just becomes a statistic. It becomes a number. We get very focused on the numbers, but what we try to do is really focus on the person, the story. Take a minute and really say that person's not coming home for dinner, that person isn't going to work the next day, or whatever it might be."
Some 2,000 cyclists will take part in the organization's Honolulu Century Ride this Sunday. Watch out for traffic closures!
The 100-mile course starts at Kapiʻolani Park, heads east toward Hawaiʻi Kai, wraps around the coast, winds through Kailua and Kāneʻohe, passes Kualoa Regional Park, and then turns around near Kaʻaʻawa and backtracks on a similar route. Watch out for traffic closures!
For the first time, a stretch of Kalanianaʻole Highway will be closed to cars from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. to allow participants to safely navigate the scenic section from Hanauma Bay to Sandy Beach.
"That road is definitely a busy highway, winding, lots of cars, lots of scenic, so it might not be the most friendly place for people walking or biking on an average day. So we're grateful for the city and the state support there," Counsell said.
This story aired on The Conversation on Sept. 22, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Sophia McCullough adapted this story for the web.
