5 Earth-Friendly Tips for Reducing your Carbon Footprint

Earth Day is next week and it’s the perfect time to show your support for protecting the environment. But you don’t have to wait until April 22nd to be part of resolving the climate crisis and putting an end to the age of fossil fuels.

Together, we can make some important changes if we start to bring Earth Day into our everyday!

5 Earth-Friendly Tips for Reducing your Carbon Footprint

Earth Day is next week and it’s the perfect time to show your support for protecting the environment. But you don’t have to wait until April 22nd to be part of resolving the climate crisis and putting an end to the age of fossil fuels.

Together, we can make some important changes if we start to bring Earth Day into our everyday!

From shopping local to riding bicycles, HIBIKE and PATH have five earth-friendly tips on how you can make a difference by reducing your individual carbon footprint now and mitigating the need for fossil fuels in the future:

Tip 5) Conserve Water

According to the EPA, the average American family uses over 300 gallons of water per day at home. You might be shocked by this number, but what will really surprise you is how easy it is to decrease your water usage by being conscious when it comes to your daily routines.

Most top loading washing machines use an average of 40 gallons of water per cycle. So when it comes to doing laundry, make an effort to wash only full loads. You’ll cut back on hundreds of gallons of water consumption and save money! While you’re at it, skip the extra rinse cycle, and conserve energy further by hanging your clothes out to dry whenever possible.

The next time you brush your teeth, time yourself. Most of us spend around 2 to 3 minutes brushing our teeth, twice a day – which is great! What’s not great is that we tend to let the water run the whole time. And for every minute that the tap is on, one gallon of water is used. It may take some time to make it a habit, but turning off the faucet while you brush can save over 1,400 gallons of water over the course of the year!

Then there’s the dehumidifier – Many of us run them here on the Big Island since they keep mold and mildew at bay on those rainy days. And when it’s time to empty the dehumidifier, we may think nothing of dumping the water in the tub. But what if there was a better use for that water?

Consider pouring it into your watering can for your garden or watering trees in your yard with it. And before you dump that water leftover in your reusable bottle down the drain, look around at your house plants – Chances are they could use that “old” water and you can keep the faucet turned off a little longer!

Tip 4) Shop Local 

We get it – COVID 19 made shopping online the norm. It was safer and sometimes necessary to shop from home and have our orders delivered to the door. But pandemic-related restrictions are slowly being lifted and we’re able to spend more time outside the house, allowing us to buy products and services from local businesses in our own community.

Shopping locally really does impact the environment! By doing our shopping within our community, we can feel good knowing that our vehicles guzzled less gas. And purchasing produce locally also helps farmers that may otherwise struggle to stay in business. When local farmers succeed, there is less of a chance that they will have to sell their land to developers, who often transform it into office parks and strip malls, threatening the local ecosystem in the process.

One of our favorite ways to support local businesses is to shop at the farmers markets. Many of the markets are close enough to reach by bike or foot, which means we can conserve the air quality of our community rather than polluting it with emissions. And unlike foods sold by global retailers, goods sold by local farmers require little to no packaging, minimizing waste.

Tip 3) Use Reef-Safe Sunscreen 

The ocean is essential to life here on Hawai’i Island. And whether you live in Kona or are visiting Volcano, you can help protect the ocean’s health by using sunscreens that are free of oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Hawai’i has banned any sunscreens containing these chemicals, as they are known to cause harm to marine ecosystems. Specifically oxybenzone and octinoxate lead to the process of coral bleaching, which harms our reefs by upsetting the symbiotic relationship between delicate coral and other organisms that sustain the coral reef.

When choosing an environmentally-friendly sunscreen, don’t just grab the first sunscreen that says “ocean safe” on it though. Check the label to be sure that it’s free of oxybenzone and octinoxate, and look for minerals such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which can protect your skin from damaging UVB rays… and protect the planet!

Tip 2) Carpool or Take Public Transit

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average car emits six tons of carbon dioxide every year. On the other hand, public transit vehicles actually emit fewer pollutants than single-passenger vehicles. In fact, a bus emits 80 percent less carbon monoxide than a car.

Choosing to ride the bus instead of driving a car can save 4.7 billion gallons of gasoline and cut carbon emissions by more than 4,800 pounds annually, leading to a notable decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. The statistics are enough to convince anyone that riding the bus is helpful in the fight against pollution.

It can also be overwhelming to think that to protect the environment, we have to abandon our cars, and carpool or take public transportation for the rest of our lives. The good news is that even small changes in your commuting behavior can make a difference! So before you sell your car, try a subtler approach:

Commit to taking the bus or carpooling with coworkers once a week. This weekly change alone will decrease the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road and effectively cut down on greenhouse gases. Additionally, you’ll be part of statewide efforts to achieve 100 percent renewable energy and carbon neutrality by 2045.

Ground transportation contributes significantly to Hawaii’s share of greenhouse gas emissions, but the Hawai’i Clean Energy Initiative aims to reduce overall vehicle miles traveled and convert any remaining vehicle-based ground transportation to renewable, zero-emission fuels and technologies over the next 20 years.

Tip 1) Commute by Bike 

It’s unavoidable. Vehicles emit high levels of carbon dioxide, which is the primary cause of global warming. Specifically, every gallon of gas in your tank emits roughly 24 pounds of carbon dioxide.

When it comes to bicycles, every four-mile bike ride has the opposite effect. Not only are bikes an emission-free form of transportation, but they also prevent emissions of approximately 15 pounds of carbon dioxide. Every time you decide to use your bike for recreation or transportation instead of your vehicle, you’re helping to decrease the amount of pollution from carbon dioxide.

You’re also helping to lessen the number of vehicles on the road. And less automobiles means we can get to where we need to be sooner and avoid the stress of being stuck in traffic.

Whether you’re commuting on your own bicycle or you’re riding a HIBIKE for recreation, you can likely skip the hassle of finding a parking spot associated with owning a car, and decrease your carbon footprint at the same time.

Celebrate Earth Day by Riding Your Bike

If more of us can choose bikes over cars for transportation, our communities won’t need to build more roadways or add extra lanes to existing roads, which depletes open space, leading to more water run-off and in turn, water pollution.

Not sure whether you should take mass transit or commute by bike? Why not try both! On April 22, we invite you to celebrate Earth Day by using your bike or a HIBIKE from Hawaii’s Bikeshare system for the first or last mile of your commute… Or bike all the way to work and back if you feel like it. There’s no better way to protect the planet while promoting a better, healthier community!

Written by: Sara Stover

Women’s History Month – Inspiring Female Advocates and Adventurers

Pop quiz: What’s a velocipedestrienne?

If you guessed a French pastry, you’re way off! If you suspect something related to bikes, then you’re on the right track!

In the 19th century, a woman who rode a bicycle (or velocipede) was bestowed with this fancy title. And since March is Women’s History Month, it’s the perfect time to remember some brave and inspiring women who paved the way for velocipedestriennes and active wahine everywhere!

Women’s History Month – Inspiring Female Advocates and Adventurers

by Sara Stover

Pop quiz: What’s a velocipedestrienne?

If you guessed a French pastry, you’re way off! If you suspect something related to bikes, then you’re on the right track!

In the 19th century, a woman who rode a bicycle (or velocipede) was bestowed with this fancy title. And since March is Women’s History Month, it’s the perfect time to remember some brave and inspiring women who paved the way for velocipedestriennes and active wahine everywhere!

The Picture of Free Womanhood

Susan B. Anthony was more than just one of the pivotal leaders in the women’s suffrage movement of 1869 – She was also a bike enthusiast!

In an interview with reporter Nellie Bly, Anthony revealed her stance on cycling. “I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world,” she said. “It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel… the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”

Around the same time, 5000 miles away on Hawai’i Island, young Victoria Kawekiu Lunalilo Kalanikuiahilapalapa Ka’iulani Cleghorn was named heir to the throne of Hawai’i by Queen Liliuokalani. The year was 1890 and 15-year-old Princess Ka’iulani was adjusting well to her destiny as ruler of the Hawaiian Islands… in between mastering the skills of horseback riding and surfing.

The would-be queen was eventually sent to England to receive her education in language and the arts as part of preparations for her royal duties. While in school, she learned of the Hawaiian monarchy’s overthrow. A distraught Princess Ka’iulani immediately traveled to Washington D.C., imploring President Grover Cleveland to defend Lili’uokalani’s honor and restore the Hawaiian’s independence.

Although the Hawaiian monarchy remained unrestored, Ka’iulani worked alongside Lili’uokalani to secure the voting rights of the Hawaiian people. Before her death in 1898 at only 23 years old, the Princess hosted a luau for a delegation of commissioners sent to the islands by President McKinley and, along with leaders of the community, advocated for the right of Hawai’ian people to vote.

The Princess was part of a new generation of young women around the globe who were defying the norms, following their hearts, and taking a stand against injustice.

Head Over Wheels for Cycling 

In 1889, a teenager named Tillie Anderson immigrated from Sweden to Chicago, IL, where she soon fell head over wheels for cycling. A seamstress by trade, Anderson saved up her money until she had enough for a bike.

It wasn’t long after that that Anderson began racing, performing so well that her beau (and eventual husband) Philip Sjöberg decided to shift his focus from his own racing to coaching Anderson. Trained by Sjöberg, she went on to win first place in 123 of 130 races, most of which were six-day events. Each day, the women cyclists would ride two hours on a banked velodrome track, covering eight laps to a mile as fast as they could.

As both a strong cyclist and a strategic racer, Anderson was a stand-out among her male competitors on the track-tested endurance events. Unfortunately, her racing days were numbered. By 1902 Anderson and her fellow female athletes were barred from bike racing after an accident involving two women cyclists. It would be another 70 years before women could officially participate in bike races once more.

This didn’t stop five African-American women from setting out on an epic journey by bike in 1928. Trail blazers Constance White, Ethyl Miller,  Leolya Nelson, Marylou Jackson, and Velma Jackson biked an astounding 250 miles over the course of three days, all the way from New York City to Washington, DC at a time when cycling was a male-dominant, white-dominant activity.

When asked what motivated them to embark on their ride, they responded that they were motivated by “the love of the great-out-of-doors!” There is little documentation available about their adventure, but their motivation for riding is a timeless one that many of us can relate to.

Spreading Aloha and Advocating for Active Transportation

The 1970s was imperative for women athletes everywhere. Across the globe, females began to race bikes again. And in Hawai’i, Chicago native Dr. Donnis Thompson was setting the stage for a flourishing wahine sports program at the University of Hawaii.

In 1961, she started and coached the university’s first track and field program for women. Once she had enough funds, Thompson introduced the women’s volleyball to U of H. And by 1972, she was heading the university’s entire athletics program, expanding the catalog of sports offered to female student athletes from two to eight, and growing the number of women’s athletic scholarships from a scant few to 30.

Thompson would later become the first woman to serve as the state of Hawaii’s Superintendent of Education. And the former University of Hawaii women’s director of athletics was known not only for being a champion for female athletes in Hawaii, but for adopting and perpetuating the Aloha spirit. In fact, Thompson was famous for having women’s volleyball coach Dave Shoji bring boxes of pineapples along when they travelled as gifts to officials and opposing teams.

Born in 1929, Ellen Fletcher escaped from Berlin on the Kindertransport trains. Her teen years were spent as a Jewish refugee in the London of World War II, where she biked to her job at a factory.

Eventually, Fletcher moved to Palo Alto, California, where her start in cycling advocacy began. As a mother concerned for her children’s safety, she was an ideal fit for the role of safety chair of the local PTA. There she realized that there was no better way to protect school kids from the danger of automobiles than to reduce auto traffic around schools’ yards.

Fletcher was also an advocate for clean, sustainable transportation long before there was notable support for cycling and other forms of active transportation, as well as a member of Palo Alto’s Citizen’s Technical Advisory Committee on Bicycling, which would eventually become the Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC).

By 1974, she was the PABAC’s chairperson and a driving force behind an innovative bikeway concept: A street where automobile access would be limited (but not restricted), in an effort to provide cyclists with a safer alternative to routes with heavy automobile traffic. This concept grew into the first “bicycle boulevard” in the U.S.

Fletcher’s tireless efforts to make transportation safer and more sustainable continued throughout her life. At 83 years old, despite suffering from lung cancer, she rode her bike to City Hall for a hearing on bicycle improvements. And in 2012, when the transportation activist passed away, almost half of Fletcher’s memorial attendees biked to the service.

The Bicycle’s Role in Women’s Rights 

Women’s History Month reminds us to recognize the important individuals who advanced women’s rights and women’s health. And we hope that the stories of these wahine athletes, advocates, and adventurers inspire more freedom, self-reliance, self-respect, courage, love for the outdoors, and drive to create a better, safer community for all of us to move and live in!

A Tribute to Mayor Kenoi

Here at PATH, we are saddened by the passing of our friend and incredible advocate for active living and safe streets, former Hawai’i County Mayor Billy Kenoi.

Mayor Kenoi understood the importance of creating safe, accessible, and attractive places for all of us to walk, run, hike, and bike on Hawai’i Island. When PATH approached Mayor Kenoi about creating a collective of public health, active transportation, and city leadership that would build upon Hawaii County’s walking, biking, and community connections, Mayor Kenoi jumped at the idea.

A Tribute to Mayor Kenoi

Here at PATH, we are saddened by the passing of our friend and incredible advocate for active living and safe streets, former Hawai’i County Mayor Billy Kenoi.

Mayor Kenoi understood the importance of creating safe, accessible, and attractive places for all of us to walk, run, hike, and bike on Hawai’i Island. When PATH approached Mayor Kenoi about creating a collective of public health, active transportation, and city leadership that would build upon Hawaii County’s walking, biking, and community connections, Mayor Kenoi jumped at the idea. And that was how the Mayor’s Active Living Advisory Council (MALAC) was born in November of 2013.

Mayor Kenoi served from 2008 to 2016, and over the course of his administration, he was instrumental in making the Queens’ Lei walking/ running/ biking path a reality, championing the Bike and Pedestrian Safety Campaign, and approving the establishment of the Hawaii Island Bikeshare pilot project. Additionally, it was under his administration that MALAC worked to incorporate complete design of streets into our roadway improvements.

Today, Mayor Kenoi’s legacy of active living and safe streets continues. MALAC introduced Vision Zero under Mayor Kim’s administration. And Mayor Roth’s administration has also committed to creating accessible, safe, and attractive places for people to walk, run, and bike on Hawai’i Island.

We here at PATH send our deepest condolences to Mayor Kenoi’s ohana. Our hope is that, as a community, we can all honor his memory by embracing Mayor Kenoi’s motto when faced with any challenge:

“If can, can. If no can, still can!”

5 Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions with Bikeshare Hawaii

One of our favorite quotes when it comes to setting new goals comes from motivational speaker Zig Ziglar: 

“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” 

On the other hand, if you aim at something specific, chances are that you’ll hit it! How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions? Are you on track to make your resolutions a reality in 2021? 

Here are 5 ways that Hele-On and Bikeshare Hawaii Island can help you keep those resolutions:

5 Ways to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions with Bikeshare Hawaii

How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions? Are you on track to make your resolutions a reality in 2021?

Here are 5 ways that Hele-On and Bikeshare Hawaii Island can help you keep those resolutions:

1. Help you save money 

Looking to save up for a vacation (finally!) or a new house? Or do you just want to find better ways to cut down costs and pay off debt in 2021? Consider using the Bikeshare system for transportation in conjunction with using the Hawaii County Mass Transit buses.

With your MT Hele-On monthly bus pass, you get unlimited rides for $60 on all bus routes throughout the month it is purchased for. And Bikeshare membership for Hawaii MT pass holders is FREE! You can find more information on purchasing monthly MT passes here: www.heleonbus.org/hele-on-fares

With the Bikeshare Subscription Plan, you get unlimited 30-minute rides for $15 per month or unlimited 60-minute rides for $25 per month, making Bikeshare Hawaii a cost-efficient option for recreation and transportation.

2. Help you decrease your carbon footprint

Road transportation accounts for as much as one-fifth of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, but we can work together to change that! Experts predict that there would be an 11% reduction overall in global carbon emissions by 2050 if bikes make up 14% of travel.

If you want to live sustainably in 2021 and develop more environmentally-friendly habits this year, then reducing your amount of travel in a gas-guzzling vehicle is a fantastic way to accomplish that!

Minimizing your carbon footprint can be as easy as taking a Bikeshare bike to pick up food on your lunch break, or using the Bikeshare system as your first and last mile transportation option, in conjunction with using the Hawaii County Mass Transit buses.

Taking the Hele-On buses is an easy way to go green, since mass transit helps decrease our island’s greenhouse gases and toxic emissions by minimizing single-automobile usage. Check out their bus schedules and maps for more info on how you can work bus rides into your daily commute.

3. Help you save time. Even though the holidays are behind us, life can be just as busy as ever. Whether you want to manage time better so you can have more ZOOM calls with family or get more workouts in, biking is a great time saver.

By riding a bike on weekdays, you can transform your commute to work into a WORKOUT, so why not make your cycling do double duty? And in the case of getting around Kona or Hilo, your bike might just be able to transport you around town faster than a car, since the bike lanes are often less congested than our roads.

Did we mention that you won’t have to worry about finding a parking spot? Just dock your bike at the Bikeshare kiosk when you’re done and be on your way.

4. Help you get fit and stay healthy. Let’s face it, staying healthy has never been more of a priority! We’re all looking for more ways to take a proactive approach to our health, and cycling is one of the top low-impact cardiovascular workouts for any fitness level.

Riding a bike offers plenty of health benefits, including:

  • Reduced risk of arthritis, diabetes, high cholesterol, and other diseases. According to a large-scale research study in Finland, individuals who cycled for over 30 minutes per day had a 40% lower risk of developing diabetes.?
  • Decreased blood pressure and body fat, with the average person burning between 450 to 750 calories per hour of cycling.
  • Increased muscle strength and a stronger heart.
  • Improved joint stability and mobility.
  • Increased aerobic fitness, balance, and endurance.

Being outdoors on a bike also has an abundance of physical and mental health benefits, including increased doses of vitamin D through exposure to healthy amounts of sunlight.

5. Give your mental health a boost. One of the best resolutions you can make this year is to take extra steps in caring for your mental health, and doing so doesn’t have to be complicated! Spending as little as 20 minutes outdoors has been proven to reduce stress levels and improve your mood, enhancing your health and wellness.    

And cycling is a particularly effective mood stabilizer, since your levels of dopamine and  serotonin increase as you ride. Whether you need to blow off steam, relieve anxiety, or boost your mood, stress relief is just a bike ride away. So grab a pass, hop on a bike, and take advantage of the mental health benefits that biking can offer.

A Few Helpful Tips for Keeping your New Year’s Resolutions: 

  • Be SMART! SMART is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Whatever your 2021 resolution, you’ll increase the chances of sticking to it by setting SMART goals.

What baby steps will you take this week and within the next month to achieve your goals for 2021? Defining these steps by setting some smaller goals each week and month will help you measure your progress and move toward your 2021 goal.

Begin by assigning specific, realistic dates to the small goals. Then, as you accomplish these, you will gain confidence and realize that heck yeah, you really do have what it takes to achieve that ultimate goal!

  • Remember WHY your goal matters. Your goals may appear realistic on paper, but as we learned from 2020, obstacles can arise that require us to pivot. And when those occur, it’s tempting to throw in the towel.

If the going gets tough, find motivation by reminding yourself why that goal was important to you in the first place. Be proactive by putting reminders of your WHY where you will see it daily, so you can read it when you need an extra dose of encouragement! Whether you put a post-it note on your fridge or make a motivating quote your screensaver, these reminders can renew your focus and keep you progressing toward your goal.

Whether your New Year’s Resolution is to spend less, get more exercise, increase your daily dose of vitamin D, decrease pollution, or reduce stress, our Bikeshare bikes are your vehicle for reaching your goals.

2020: Hawaii County Bikeshare by the Numbers

There’s no denying that 2020 took us all on a wild ride. And while “uncertainty” was a fitting word to describe much of the year, here on Hawai’i Island, there are a few things we’re certain of!

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and decrease in visitors to Hawai’i Island, Bikeshare ridership almost doubled in 2020. And during the peak of the pandemic, there were over 600 Bikeshare membership sign-ups in Hawai’i County!

2020: Hawaii County Bikeshare by the Numbers

There’s no denying that 2020 took us all on a wild ride. And while “uncertainty” was a fitting word to describe much of the year, here on Hawai’i Island, there are a few things we’re certain of!

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and decrease in visitors to Hawai’i Island, Bikeshare ridership almost doubled in 2020. And during the peak of the pandemic, there were over 600 Bikeshare membership sign-ups in Hawai’i County!

In 2020, we saw Bikeshare rides split 50/50 between members and casual users, as compared to 2019, which was about 88% casual rides and 12% member rides. This year, the average trip duration for members was up 8 minutes from the 2019 average duration of 22:47.

A similar trend was reported on the island of Oahu, where Biki members produced longer ride durations, since members aren’t using Bikeshare strictly for commuting anymore, but for exercise and recreation as well. This suggests that social distancing restrictions have prompted users to bike more as they find cycling a safe (and enjoyable) socially distant activity.

Below are some more 2020 statistics on Big Island Bikeshare that we’re certain you’ll find interesting: *

7: The number of Hawaii Bikeshare stations in Kona, HI
4: The number of Hawaii Bikeshare stations in Hilo, HI
14, 739:  The total number of rides taken in 2020
6,471:  The total number of rides taken in 2020 by members
6,546:  The total number of rides taken in 2020 by casual users
7,655.5 hours:  The total duration of rides on Hawaii Bikeshare bikes in 2020
About 98,756 km:  The total distance covered on Hawaii Bikeshare bikes in 2020**
3,294:  The total number of unique Bikeshare riders in 2020
805:  The total number of Hawaii Bikeshare members in 2020.
2,489:  The total number of Bikeshare casual users in 2020.
 May 10: The day with the most rides in 2020; The number of rides that day were 144.
May, November, January: The top 3 months with the most rides in 2020; 2,328 rides in May, 1,470 rides in November, and 1,383 rides in January.
Sunday: The most popular day of the week to ride in 2020.
5 pm: The most popular time of the week to ride.
35:27:  The average overall duration of a ride in 2020.
31:08:  The average duration of a ride for registered members.
39:45:  The average duration of a ride for casual users in 2020. ***
$25 per month: The cost of Unlimited 60 minute rides with the Bikeshare Subscription Plan

$15 per month: The cost of Unlimited 30 minute rides with the Bikeshare Subscription Plan

$20: The cost of a one-time Free spirit purchase of 300 minutes to use whenever you like.

$3.50: The cost of a one-time Single 30-minute ride.

$60:  The cost of a monthly Hawaii Country MT pass.

$0.00!!!  The cost of mostly Bikeshare membership for Hawaii MT pass holders.

MT annual membership and Bikeshare membership in one! 

No, we didn’t miscalculate our end of year numbers – Mass Transit monthly pass holders really don’t pay a cent for the monthly Bikeshare membership!

Monthly County of Hawaii Mass Transit Agency (COH MT) pass holders will receive an order form to sign up for free monthly Bikeshare Membership. Once you sign up, you’ll be sent a Bikeshare Membership card in the mail. Pass holders can then use the card to unlock bikes for an unlimited number of 60-minute Bikeshare rides per month!

Hele-On, Ride On Hawai’i!?

Yes, Bikeshare Membership really is FREE to all interested Hele-On pass holders.

When you become a Mass Transit monthly pass holders, you also get daily ride time (good for your health and your wallet)!

In conjunction with using the bus, you can use the Bikeshare System and hop on one of our bikes for free. It’s a great transportation option for the first or last mile of your commute to work, school, or just for fun and fitness!

How to Purchase Mass Transit Passes

You can find information on purchasing monthly MT passes here: www.heleonbus.org/hele-on-fares

Hele-On monthly passes are good for unlimited bus rides on all bus routes. Monthly passes are available for purchase here: ?

Mo’oheau Bus Terminal Information Center, 329 Kamehemeha Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 969-3163.

Or by mail using this form: www.heleonbus.org/transit-info-and-statistics/Bus%20Pass-ticket%20order%20form.pdf

As we start 2021, stay safe out there, smile… and get ready to Hele-On and Ride on into the new year!

*From January 1 to November 30, 2020.

**Grace period trips removed. A grace period trip is when the user returns the bike within 30 seconds of release because of unfamiliarity with the release process of the bike, desiring to switch to a different bike, or other reasons. 

***In addition to the grace period trips, any trip exceeding 5 hours was removed from total or average trip duration calculations since 5 hours ride time is the maximum any plan has to offer. To find the total distance, the average distance travelled calculation methodology of NACTO in which they assumed an average speed of 8mph or 12.9kmh was adopted (This is a rough estimation).

Beat the holiday stress with a bike ride!

Happy First Day of Winter! Tis the season for celebrating and spending time with family. Even if that looks a little different in 2020, the holidays are still a fun time of year – And a busy one!

Beat the holiday stress with a bike ride!

According to a recent study, one in three cyclists report that bicycling reduces their stress levels. Riding a bike has been proven to:

1. Help reduce the cortisol level in your bloodstream, which leads to a decrease in the symptoms of stress (including high blood pressure and lowered immunity).

2. Positively impact brain serotonin to improve your sleep cycles to keep you feeling energized.

3. Help reduce anxiety and decrease stress to improve a rider’s overall mental health.

You can use your Mass Transit pass for FREE Bikeshare Membership too!

It’s easy! Current monthly County of Hawaii Mass Transit Agency (COH MT) pass holders will be receiving an order form to sign up for your free monthly Bikeshare Membership!

Once an MT pass holder signs up, you will be sent a Bikeshare Membership card in the mail. Use the card to unlock the bikes for an unlimited number of 60-minute bikeshare rides per month.

You don’t pay a cent!

As a MT monthly pass holderyou don’t pay a cent for the monthly bikeshare membership – It is FREE to all interested Hele-On MT monthly pass holders.

That means that in conjunction with using the bus, you can use the Bikeshare System as a free transportation option, so hop on one of our bikes. It’s a great transportation option for the first or last mile of your commute!

Ready to hop off Hele-On to ride a Bikeshare bike? Here are a few tips to keep you safe:

1. Ride with traffic

2. Wear a helmet!

3. Don’t forget, social distancing is still important to slow the spread of COVID-19. When riding, aim for a physical distance of at least six feet from others you pass on the road. And whenever possible, wear a mask while riding

Remember to make time to destress, stay safe out there, smile… and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!

*From January 1 to November 30, 2020.

**Grace period trips removed. A grace period trip is when the user returns the bike within 30 seconds of release because of unfamiliarity with the release process of the bike, desiring to switch to a different bike, or other reasons. 

***In addition to the grace period trips, any trip exceeding 5 hours was removed from total or average trip duration calculations since 5 hours ride time is the maximum any plan has to offer. To find the total distance, the average distance travelled calculation methodology of NACTO in which they assumed an average speed of 8mph or 12.9kmh was adopted (This is a rough estimation).