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Honolulu bike share ridership increases

HONOLULU (AP) — A Honolulu self-service bicycle rental program is the sixth most used bike share program in the nation, according to a national report.

Biki is behind New York City, Chicago, greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C., the report from the National Association of City Transportation Officials said.

Usage has increased to an average of three rides per bike per day, up from 1.7 in the first six months of operation, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Friday. Around 36 million trips were taken on station-based bike share programs nationwide, the report said.

Biki has around 13,000 recurring riders, but around 100,000 members total that have used the system, according to Todd Boulanger, executive director of Biki’s operator, Bikeshare Hawaii.

Biki launched two years ago to some complaints that its docking stations were taking up vehicle parking spots on streets. Officials say one car parking stall can house around eight Biki bikes.

“I know a lot of people, in 2017, went to their favorite block and said, ‘Oh my god, the city’s changed overnight,’ “ Boulanger said. “So we’re at the point where people — when we were installing the Makiki station this last December — instead of saying, ‘What is this?’ people said, ‘I’m so happy you’re here, what took you so long?’ So that’s where the message has really changed.”

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