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From: Susan Ince
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2024 11:56 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: commercial bike tours
ED
We are residents of Kapa'au writing again in support of Bill 125, which would prohibit comm&cial=bike
tours from operating on the Kohala Mountain Road and on Akoni Pule Highway from mile maker 25 to
Pololu Valley.
We regularly drive the Kohala Mountain Road and Akoni Pule Highway. We have been in near -misses with
bicyclists participating in tours, including having to take quick action to avoid striking a large man who
was unable to control his bicycle and had fallen onto Akoni Pule Highway near Pololu. In addition, other
dangers we have noted from the bicycle tours include:
• Shoulders that are narrow, rough, slippery from rain or falling fruit, or non-existent, raising the risk
of harm whenever a bicyclist or driver must swerve to avoid a collision — particularly on the blind
curves.
Riders that do not yield to oncoming traffic on one -lane bridges.
Bicyclists who often ride two abreast, or stop in the road to take photos/videos of their
adventures, creating an additional hazard and making it impossible to pass them safely.
We believe that many participants in bicycle tours are visitors who assume that a commercial tour will be
located on roads safe for that purpose, and who assume that they are not interfering with the regular
routes of residents just trying to go to work/school/appointments. The reality of the situation contradicts
these assumptions.
Bill 125 seems a reasonable measure to improve the safety of residents and visitors alike. It makes sense
to prohibit commercial tours from all of Kohala Mountain Road and from Akoni Pule Highway past mile
marker 25, before the dangerous curves and one -lane bridges begin.
Mahalo for taking public input on this important matter.
Susan Ince
Andrea Longpre
PO Box 762
Kapa'au HI 96755
808-889-6238
Comm, N , Ul
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Ref. Date_Lw 1 2024