Those numbers are driving more people to pedal power just as Honolulu is taking a look at reworking its Bicycle Master Plan. The first of three community meetings to gather input on the Master Plan was held in Kapolei Tuesday night.

"Business is great. It's up about 15 percent. And I think it's probably because the rising price of gas. They're looking for a way to get to work. I guess some other way besides driving their car," said Harris Habu, manager of McCully Bicycle & Sporting Goods on King Street.

Ditching a car in favor of a bike means competing with cars for room on the road and with pedestrians for space on the sidewalk.

"I think we do need to be a more bicycle friendly place," Habu added.

In the 2006, General Election 72 percent of Hawaii voters said making Honolulu "pedestrian and bicycle friendly" should be a city priority. So the city is conducting workshops to update Oahu's Bicycle Master Plan.

"We're trying to get the public's input on the bike master plan. We're trying to find out where they are going, where they want to go, and where they think the city is deficient in its bike ways," said Chris Sayers, Bicycle Coordinator for the City and County of Honolulu.

The original Bicycle Master Plan, drawn up in 1999, was restricted to development of bike ways from Kahala to Pearl City. The goal is to now expand the plan to cover the entire island of Oahu.

"We want connectivity between the places where you live, work, and then where you visit for commercial establishments schools and libraries," said Mitchell Nakagawa, Executive Director of the Hawaii Bicycling League.

Nakagawa believes connecting existing bike paths should be a priority. He will share his ideas with the city and you can too. After all, with gas prices so high riding a bike makes more sense than ever.

"Well, it's healthy. It's good for the environment. But you know the one thing that I think gets lost is, it's a lot of fun. I mean if you remember when you were a kid how much fun it was riding a bike, I mean it's still fun," Sayers added.

The second of three Bicycle Master Plan meetings will be held Wednesday, May 14th, at the Pali Golf Course from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The third meeting will be Thursday, May 15, at the Blaisdell Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The new Bicycle Master Plan should be done and ready to roll sometime in the summer of 2009.

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