Exploring Honolulu’s Growing Micro Mobility Scene: The Future of Urban Transportation

How Honolulu is making micromobility a part of the city’s transportation fabric

The future of micro mobility in Honolulu looks promising, as the city continues to prioritize sustainable transportation options and reduce traffic congestion. Micro mobility refers to transportation options that are designed for short distances, typically within a range of 1-3 miles. In Honolulu, micro mobility options include electric scooters, electric bicycles, and traditional bicycles. Honolulu’s mild weather and relatively flat landscape make it a perfect place for these smaller, more economical, and environmentally friendly alternatives to motor vehicles whose constant noise and air pollution ruin our quality of life in the city.

Electric scooters, in particular, have become increasingly popular in Honolulu over the past few years. Companies have launched e-scooter sharing programs in the city, allowing residents and visitors to rent electric scooters for short trips around town. These scooters can be rented using a smartphone app, and are typically parked in designated areas throughout the city.

Electric bicycles have also become more popular in Honolulu, with many residents using them as an alternative to driving a car or taking public transportation. Some companies, such as Biki, offer shared electric bicycles that can be rented for short periods of time.

Advocates for micro mobility options are enthusiastic about the many positive effects that can be gained by increasing incentives for riders. One of the biggest obstacles on Oahu is street safety. Much needs to be done to improve infrastructure for bikes, scooters, and pedestrians. The city has a small network of bike lanes and paths for cyclists to get around safely but these routes are fragmented throughout the city and there aren’t nearly enough to serve the fast growing demand.

The city is slowly recognizing the need to make changes as more people adapt these urban friendly transportation alternatives and are slowly implementing new projects to increase safe bike lane options in communities around Oahu. You can find more information on planned street design projects around Oahu on the Honolulu Complete Streets program website.

Academic research shows that providing bike lanes encourages more micromobility use, and recent studies from Europe also reveal how most micromobilty crashes and injuries occur on streets lacking bike infrastructure and with high-speed, high-volume car traffic. The reality these studies show is that the majority of danger on city streets is caused by cars and trucks.

In the MMfE factsheet (Micro Mobility for Europe – a first-of-its-kind aggregated safety incident data based on over 240 million shared e-scooter trips in Europe) cars and trucks were found to be the biggest source of traffic fatalities for pedestrians, cyclists, and shared scooter riders. 

Here are some potential developments that could shape and support the future of micro mobility in Honolulu:

1. Expansion of electric scooter sharing programs: E-scooter sharing has already proven to be popular in Honolulu, and it’s possible that more companies will launch their own programs in the city. This could make it even easier for residents and visitors to access micro mobility options.
2. Implementation of more bike lanes and paths: Honolulu has made strides in recent years to improve its bike infrastructure, but there is still room for improvement. If more bike lanes and paths are added to the city, it could encourage more people to use bicycles and electric bikes as a primary mode of transportation.
3. Integration with public transportation: As more people embrace micro mobility, there could be opportunities to integrate these options with Honolulu’s public transportation system. For example, bike sharing programs could be integrated with bus and rail lines, making it easier for people to travel longer distances without a car.
4. Continued focus on safety: Safety will be a crucial factor in the future of micro mobility in Honolulu. As more people use electric scooters, bikes, and other modes of transportation, it will be important to ensure that infrastructure is in place to keep them safe on the roads. This could include more protected bike lanes, lower speed limits, and increased enforcement of traffic laws.

Transforming the way we move throughout and interact with our streets has been proven to increase quality of life in the city on multiple counts such as:

• Safety: Minimizes the amount of potential conflict points on roadways between cars/trucks and pedestrian/micromobility users.
• Health: Encourages more healthy lifestyles by making it easier and safer for people to use more active alternative modes of transportation from walking to biking & scootering.
• Economics: Walkable & bikeable communities promote more commerce as they’re more accessible and offer a more enjoyable environment where people want to spend time.
• Equity: Street networks designed to allow for multiple modes of transportation open up more opportunities, resources, and services because they increase accessibility to more people.
• Environment: Incorporating trees & greenery into street designs eases environmental impacts on air and rainwater runoff.

Overall, micro mobility options in Honolulu provide a convenient and eco-friendly way for residents and visitors to get around the city. Whether you’re a visitor to Oahu or a local resident experiencing the city by foot, bicycle, or scooter will give you an entirely different perspective of the city and is worth supporting to improve the quality of life for everyone on our beautiful island.

by Erica McMillan