After getting bikes a few months ago, my husband and I have taken interest to the various places we could ride them safely. After having breakfast one day at Neil Blaisdell Park, we noticed the bike path. Curious, we came back a few days later with our bikes to explore.
The best things about this bike path is that there's such a large stretch of path that's unobstructed from regular traffic, making it an excellent choice for riding. I love being able to ride fast on some stretches - there's hardly anyone on the path! We encountered a few joggers, pedestrians and other bikers, but hardly any in comparison to other rides we've done on the island.
It's an interesting perspective to ride along the water, past the electric plant toward Waipahu. There was a beautiful and quirky taro patch, which was an unexpected plus. The bike path itself wasn't obstructed, so riding was easy going and fun.
The negatives make me shake my head. I think of how nice they could truly make this area. Yes, it's rather industrial, but the city really needs to clean up this area. There are homeless people living along the water. While they mostly keep to themselves, the smell in certain areas is unbearable. While riding from Blaisdell toward Waipahu, we witnessed what I suspect was a drug deal near the entrance of a new stretch of path. This path went back into the woods, and it was smelly, and frankly, scary back there. I sort of got the feeling that is was generally not safe back in the woods. We turned around. We were sad, because we wanted to ride through and see where the path ended up.
Instead, we turned around and headed toward Aloha Stadium. We stopped once at the site of a feral dog who looked territorial. After some time resting, we continued on and the dog went away, luckily. We rode down to nearly the Stadium and back again to the Blaisdell Park.
I wish the city could tidy it up over there. The scenery really isn't bad, but when you add old, abandoned homeless mattresses, the smell of feces, a feral and mean looking dog, etc., it doesn't exactly become a destination.
I'd come pedal here at your own risk. I wouldn't walk or jog here alone, maybe not even in a group. If they cleaned this up, it would be such a nice supplement for commuters and the rail. They could even open up safe cafes/eateries with bike parking. Imagine: an actually NICE place for local families to ride their bike. Is it a pipe dream? I sure hope not! read more