North Shore NewsBy Rex Dubiel Shanahan
The Bike Path that runs parallel to the beach roads at Sunset Beach has a long history. About 30 years ago, a number of moms in the neighborhood petitioned for a bikeway to and from Sunset Beach Elementary. Their hard work prevailed and the City and County of Honolulu built the Bike Path. There was one stipulation…the City would do no landscaping. At that point, the North Shore Outdoor Circle stepped up and volunteered to work with community members to plant and maintain the Bike Path for five years. Well…13 years later, the NSOC had a celebration at Ehukai Beach Park with then Mayor Jeremy Harris and turned over the maintenance to the Dept. of Parks and Recreation. The Bike Path is a City and County Linear Park.
The NSOC has continuously worked in collaboration with the City to keep the Bike Path safe and beautiful. Over the last few years, though, the path has fallen into disrepair. There are bumps from tree roots and cracks from sun damage and aging that are making the Bike Path dangerous. The chickens are continually scratching green debris onto the path and making a mess. At one point, the Bike Path was maintained by independent contractors, but about 10 years ago, the City took over the job. With staff in short supply, the Bike Path has been neglected and now it’s in very bad shape.
On the morning of March 20, Lea Albert, Ed Shanahan, and I, met with Tyler Sugihara. Mr. Sugihara is the Head of Roads Maintenance for the City. We walked the entire length of the Bike Path, 3 ½ miles, from Shark’s Cove to Oopuola Street. Mr. Sugihara took copious notes and saw first hand the unsafe conditions of the Bike Path. He filed a long report sending it to a number of City department heads outlining the urgent need to repair the Bike Path and make it safe for residents and visitors.
The latest repairs are obvious. Root pruning and resurfacing of asphalt is happening. The cracks and big bump at Rocky Point were remedied. Because of Mr. Sugihara’s input and persistence, we will be seeing more repairs in the near future. He asked me to report any damage or bumps which pose a hazard.
So…I am asking you, neighbors who use the Bike Path, please inform me if you have any concerns regarding the safety of the Bike Path. If you notice holes, bumps, broken curbs, cracks, etc., please take a photo with an address and a brief description of the damage and email me at dubieldesign@hotmail. com. I will forward your concerns to him.