City and state leaders and environmental advocates are moving full speed ahead on a plan to bring bike sharing to Honolulu’s urban core by the summer of 2015.

The nonprofit Bikeshare Hawaii, which was incorporated in January, wants to make 1,700 bicycles available for rent at low cost. There would be 180 bike pickup/drop-off stations in a network stretching from Chinatown to Waikiki and the University of Hawaii.

The nonprofit board, which includes Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s chief of staff, Bruce Coppa, is formulating a plan to raise $250,000 in seed money from potential private sector and nonprofit partners. The board also wants to hire an executive director to administer the program and kick-start financial development.

"Once we get the seed money, we’ll put the (executive director) job description on the street and that’s when things will really start to take off," said Mike Formby, director of city Transportation Services. "When we have (enough) money in-house we’ll look for vendors and they’ll help us with implementation and stations and permitting and acquisition of the bikes."

Formby said the plan is for the nonprofit to own the bikes and stations and hire a vendor to run the program. Bike riders could buy daily, weekly, monthly or annual memberships, which could cost around $75 to $100.

Memberships would allow for an unlimited number of trips during a specified time. A global positioning system would keep tabs on unreturned bikes, and users who exceed their limit would be charged extra. Formby said he anticipates asking the Honolulu City Council in March to make a budget appropriation for the program, which already has received a $1 million commitment from the state.

The administrative startup cost for the program is expected to run $550,000, with phase one capital needs estimated at $11.9 million. Annual operating and maintenance is expected to cost $3.2 million.

"Businesses also have expressed an interest in being part of this program," said Formby, who added that 85 percent to 90 percent of program costs are expected to come from Hawaii’s private and nonprofit sectors. "It’s a quid pro quo question for them — such as, ‘If I give you $150,000, what would my involvement be?’"

Formby and other advocates point to the successful Hawaii B-cycle, a bike-sharing program piloted in Kailua in 2011 with support from the state Department of Health, as a model.

Formby said a Waikiki bike-sharing program would draw ongoing demand from visitors who are looking to take advantage of Hawaii’s warm climate and abundant natural resources. By providing an alternative form of public transportation, the program also is expected to alleviate traffic congestion by reducing the number of personal and rental vehicles on the road, especially in heavily trafficked areas like Waikiki.

"This is a great initiative that has worked elsewhere and can work here," Formby said. "Our consultant predicts that because of our high tourism numbers we’ll have a very successful program."

So far, the initiative is getting mostly positive reviews from many associated with the state’s top visitor destination.

"I think bike sharing is going to be a major positive development and will be a significant transportation source connecting Waikiki to the city core," said Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association. "I think support will be there from the district’s private landowners."

Kelly Sanders, area managing director for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Waikiki, said he’s seen the effectiveness of bike-sharing programs in other cities like Chicago and San Diego.

"I have some friends in those cities that own a yearly pass and that’s how they get to work," Sanders said. "Here, the program would provide opportunities for locals to find another way to get around and for guests to get out of their cars and enjoy an outdoor visitor experience. In our case, we have a number of employees that ride bikes to work and this would give them another option."

To encourage workers to bike, Sanders said Starwood offers secure bike parking and gives employees access to showers and lockers.

Sheraton Waikiki front-office director Brandon Kaya said he’s saved money and time since he started biking to work six months ago.

"I only use my car on the weekends now so I fill up on gas about once a month instead of two or three times," Kaya said. "I don’t live far from work so it’s actually quicker for me to bike here than to drive."

Rob Morishige, the resort’s account director of event management, said biking to work instead of driving in Waikiki traffic has cut his commute by nearly half.

"When I was driving I would spend up to 10 minutes in traffic, now it’s more like six minutes," said Morishige, who lives by Kapiolani Park.

Biking also provides a way for younger associates to watch their budgets, said Emilia Starr, who has worked at Sheraton’s beach activities for a few months.

"The opportunity to bike to work was definitely a selling point for this job," Starr said. "I don’t have to have a car so I don’t have to pay for car insurance or gas, either."

Formby and others who are focused on solving traffic congestion in Waikiki and elsewhere on the island say that making the community more accessible for bikers and pedestrians is one way to ease the growing proliferation of vehicles on Waikiki roads.

The district’s traffic needs include about 94,310 visitors and residents daily.

In addition, there are about 26,000 workers, 91 percent of whom commute daily.

Bike sharing and the creation of a 7-mile pedestrian and bicycle core network that could include pedestrian and bike paths over the Ala Wai are two traffic solutions that transportation experts have recommended for the district.

Gareth K. Sakakida, managing director of the Hawaii Transportation Association, emphasized the importance of implementing the recommended infrastructure to ensure that bikes do not add to Waikiki’s congestion.

"Not all bike riders are attentive or have really good control of their bikes," Sakakida said. "Passing by them can be really scary … Some of the plans have off-street bike lanes that would be terrific for the tourists and it would be more scenic for the bikers than the roadway."