Monday, August 13, 2012

This Is The End Of The Footnote.

The handlebars, those are the first things one notices on Natalie Iwasa’s bicycle. The handlebars thrust forward from the stem and then swoop back majestically to give the rider a comfortable upright position. Ask Natalie where she found such unique handlebars and she can only recall that “they had in the back at McCully Bike a long long time ago.”

Natalie is the Bike Mom, one of Honolulu’s most vocal bicycle advocates. And her latest project is Cyclovia Hawaii - beginning with August 26th’s Hele On Kailua event. The premise of Cyclovia Hawaii originated from Bogota, a Colombian city that was so distraught with endless neighborhoods and rampant population growth that the city became downright hostile to reside in.

Bogota’s leaders were aware that public spaces were being lost to automotive travel. It began to take away the humanity of its people. So the city changed itself and began building parks and bikeways. Along the way Ciclovia was born, forbidding any privately owned vehicle to operate on city streets for one day. These days Ciclovia in Bogota is a weekly event, and seventy-five miles of streets become a people’s parkway.

Cyclovia Hawaii has smaller but equally as grand goals. Natalie wants “kids to be able to play and to feel free to run around and walk and bike. And these days, it is just not like that … I am just really concerned about the obesity rate and the lack of physical activity that a lot of kids experience, and I just think it is really important for us to do something about that.” As a mother of two, Natalie bikes to school at least three days a week with her children - rain or shine.

Working with a crew of volunteers - including Jeffrey Ideta - the Cyclovia Hawaii team has successfully maneuvered a pedestrian/bicycle only passage on Hekili Street in Kailua (from 11AM to 3PM). It will be first Ciclovia in Hawaii and participation is essential to demonstrate the island’s need to change its notions of public spaces. KVIBE will be collaborating with Cycle Manoa and attending in force - fingers crossed. Please come join us and celebrate human interactions without automobiles.

Additionally, KVIBE would like to thank Sadaf Kashfi from Canada for helping out at the warehouse for the last few weeks. A new year of school has begun, and it is brilliant time to be at KVIBE. The warehouse will be open for Admissions Day - August 17th - from 10AM-3PM but will be closed the following Saturday.

Hele On Kailua | CYCLOVIA HAWAII | August 26, 2012 | 11AM-3PM

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Travel Is Dangerous.

As Koko Head emerged into sight, so did the smiles on everyone’s faces. Journeying from the KVIBE warehouse, many of the youth had never imagined traveling on bicycles to east Honolulu was feasible. Yet there they were, pedaling towards a much anticipated goal - “we made it,” exclaimed an elated teen. The youth transported themselves fifteen miles (one way, thirty round trip) with nothing but heart and determination.

The bicycle is older then the automobile, and its timeless design has surpassed its automotive counterparts. Owning an automobile now entails a constant draining of funds to banks and insurance companies, whereas the ownership of a bicycle has been the same it has always been: once a bicycle is yours, it's uninhibited.

On the last Saturday of summer break, a group of youth met on the doorsteps of the KVIBE warehouse. There was nary a sense of doubt as they mounted their bicycles and began pedaling out past their familiar neighborhoods. Flanked by adults Larry Victorino, Erica Wong, Brian Erickson, Molly Jenkins, and Isaac Way, the youth rode steadily from Kalihi to Downtown, McCully to Kaimuki, Hawaii Kai to Koko Head.

It was the longest bicycle ride for many. It reminded many adults of the first time they took their bicycles further than they had previously thought possible. By bicycling faraway, the youth discovered their inherent human yearn for physical endurance. It was a eye-opener for many to feel the contours of the roadways in which they journeyed.

photos from a kalihi valley to koko head bicycle ride

With public schools back in session, KVIBE has now resumed normal operational hours. The program will participate at Hele On Kailua - Hawaii’s first Cyclovia - as well as September’s Bikes at Marks’ Garage. Lots of bicycle events are in plan for the upcoming months, and it would be grand if anyone wants to join us on these adventures.