Following Hawaii County Mass Transit Agency’s recent push for a fare-free bus system, passengers can now add HIBIKE Bikeshare to their passes at no cost.
As of Jan. 5, Hele-On bus passengers have free access to all HIBIKE kiosks in both Hilo and Kona. Passengers who request an access code from bus drivers will receive a card with the printed code.
Designed to satisfy “first mile, last mile” connections from a bus stop to someone’s final destination, the free code is good for 30 minutes. After that, Bikeshare riders will need to recheck the bike into a kiosk and then reenter the access code for another free 30 minutes.
Jessica Thompson, executive director of Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii, or PATH, the nonprofit that oversees HIBIKE, said four new bike kiosks are being added: two in Hilo — one at the University of Hawaii and one at Hawaii Community College, plus two in Kona, although plans for exact locations on the west side of the island are still being discussed.
Since its inception in 2016, HIBIKE has grown to offer 130 bikes at seven stations in Kona and four in Hilo.
John Andoh, Mass Transit’s newest administrator, said Hele-On has a contractual relationship with HIBIKE and spends $120,000 annually to subsidize the program.
He clarified that an additional $30,000 grant, approved through the county Research and Development Department, is what’s responsible for funding HIBIKE’s free access to bus passengers. This money was previously used to give Hele-On monthly pass holders free access to the Bikeshare program, but now the intention is to incorporate that cost into future budgets.
HIBIKE currently requires a credit card to unlock bikes at kiosks, but Thompson said PATH is working on how it can offer bikes to prospective riders who don’t have a credit card. She noted, “It would be harder for us to see what that would look like if we didn’t have a champion (like Andoh), but we’re going to figure it out.”
PATH might be able to create passes for every kind of rider within a year, Thompson added, “but with Andoh on board, it could be much sooner.”
“There’s so much amazing partnership around this program. It’s an honor to work with John Andoh and the team at Mass Transit to implement this vision of the multi-modal transportation system. We want people to see that HIBIKE Bikeshare is not only for tourists, but that we’re building a structure that works for all — Hawaii Island residents and visitors alike.”
Thompson said that although PATH is a small nonprofit trying different plans, the organization is “deeply committed to transportation equity” and believes “offering free bike-sharing to Hele-On riders advances transportation equity.”
Email Krista Rudiger at krudiger@hawaiitribune-herald.com.