Can I Ride a Bicycle on the Sidewalk?

I was surprised to hear how much confusion there was on the rules of the biking road after my coworkers found out that I had started riding.

A few of the better comments I got when they first found out were; "Oh, you're one of those people." or the subtle, but sweet, "I hate your kind!"

After the initial, playful judgement, we got to talking about what they disliked about the general biking community and a good amount complained about bikers going on the sidewalk.

While I did complain about this during my boring pedestrian life, I am now a well informed rider and I am here to inform YOU! Well when you're in Hawaii anyway.

The most basic rule is, "Bicycle riding on sidewalks is prohibited within a business district (such as Downtown Honolulu, Waikīkī)." This is straight from the government website! Business districts are areas where the majority of store fronts are offices, retail, shops, restaurants, etc. So if this is the case, get on the road or walk your bike!

Things get a little more confusing on roads like Ala Moana Boulevard though where sometimes you're next to the water and then sometimes you're next to a business building! In cases like these, I suggest you try to use the bicycle lane when it's there, and just be very cautious when it disappears and you DO decide to go on the sidewalk instead of the road (I cannot be held responsible for your actions lol). I ULTIMATELY suggest staying on the road, for the city's sake, but I know how crazy it can get over there during rush hour.

Some things to keep in mind while you're on the sidewalk are, ride l0 MPH or less, and alert pedestrians before passing. If you'd like to read up on other common riding courtesies in Hawaii, please go to our government website here.~> honolulu.gov/dts/bike_regulations