Photo by Catherine Toth Fox
August 25, 2025
In May of 2024, just before the sunset of Bikeshare Hawai‘i, the nonprofit organization that founded Biki, I penned a Community Voices column that was published in Honolulu Civil Beat. I wanted to celebrate the impact that Biki has had for public transportation in urban Honolulu, and address the reasonable increase in user fees. Even more, I wanted to advocate for continuing public investment to build momentum for Biki expansion.
HBL continues to believe that Biki remains a vital public transportation option. That’s why, in July, when the Office of Climate Change Sustainability and Resiliency asked the City Council to approve a $1M transfer to DTS to:
- Allow and encourage transit commuters to utilize Biki as their last-mile commute option; and
- Expand Biki options for transit commuters; and
- Advance the City’s goals to prevent, ameliorate, and educate on the impacts of climate change through expanded access to climate-adaptive transportation services
Photography by Malia k Harunaga
HBL provided written testimony in strong support for Resolution 25-221. The Council adopted this measure at their meeting on August 6, 2025.
We are anticipating that DTS will provide a public briefing about their specific plans for Biki expansion. This may occur on the next agenda for the City Council’s Committee on Infrastructure, Transportation & Technology on September 17th (Note: the agenda is typically published one week prior). Please stand by, public testimony may be needed.
HBL strongly supports physical infrastructure investment and believes this should be prioritized over planned fare integration with Holo. It has been years since new bikes have been added to the fleet. Many existing docking stations are in disrepair and often off-line, unable to release a bike for use. Further, with the next phase of Skyline set to begin in October, there is a critical need to develop mini Biki networks near new stations.
Finally, now is a time for urgency and synergy with state agencies. HDOT is moving forward with their Energy Security & Waste Reduction Plan. This plan which will be finalized in October, supports funding and expansion for bike share systems. HCDA is newly tasked with supporting a Transit Oriented Development Program. This has potential to leverage investment for the expansion of bike share, not only in Honolulu, but hopefully on other islands as well.
We invite our members and allies to join with us in elevating these priorities so that Biki will be a thriving, reliable, and expanding transportation choice.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please email Advocacy Director Eduardo Hernandez