With a fun, pop-art yet also laid back vibe, the Hi*Rise is the perfect place to grab a bagel or cup of coffee. Having been open for three years, the Hi*Rise has definitely found its niche on the corner of 22nd and Larimer. After a previous job working at a bagel place, owner Doug Anderson decided to open his own shop, explaining that he “loved the early morning hours” and breakfast in general.

But the Hi*Rise isn’t just another bakery it also promotes local businesses and helps the community. Its coffee is locally roasted and, along with its bread flour, most of its other ingredients are purchased locally. And something I’m sure we’ve all wondered at one time or another: what happens with the left over food a restaurant doesn’t sell? Well Doug makes good use of it by donating it to Step 13, a non-profit, transitional living program for the addicted homeless.

Along with helping out the community, the Hi*Rise also promotes biking. With about half of his employees biking to work (even more during the warmer months), Doug offers a secure, inside bike storage area for all employee bikes. He also notes that a good amount of customers bike to the shop, too.

BikeDenver thanks the Hi*Rise for being a great member of our community and promoting biking.

[Submitted by Courtney Burkett]

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BikeDenver’s Bicycle-Friendly Business (BFB) of the Month Awardshelp highlight organizations that are making standout contributions and offering great success stories from among BikeDenver’s Bicycle-Friendly Business (BFB) Program members. The BFB program, with more than 125 honorees to date, recognizes businesses, organizations and workplaces that are leading the way to make bicycling an easy and accepted form of transportation in Denver. Nominate a workplace as a Bicycle-Friendly Business here.

BikeDenver is Denver’s bicycle advocacy organization. BikeDenver promotes and encourages bicycling in Denver and works to make Denver a better place to ride your bike. Why? Because more bicycling has great benefits for you, and for Denver! www.bikedenver.org

Clif Bar & Company started o n a bike ride. Founder Gary took a bite of another energy bar and thought he could make a better bar. Today, Clif Bar is a leading maker of all-natural and organic energy and nutrition foods and drinks.www.clifbar.com

Bicycle Friendly Business of the Month Awards: Since partnering in July of 2009 to launch the monthly awards program, Clif Bar and BikeDenver have recognized 25 work places for their bicycle friendly practices.

December 2011 – greatBIGcolor, Inc.

November 2011 – Kentwood City Properties

October 2011 – Gates Corporation

September 2011 – Wash Perk

August 2011 – TIAA CREF

July 2011 – Pedal Hopper

June 2011 – Illegal Pete’s

May 2011 – Primal Wear

April 2011 – eGo CarShare

March 2011 – Tony’s Market

February 2011 – Snooze a.m. eatery

January 2011 – The Bike Depot

December 2010 – Grand Hyatt Denver

November 2010 – Holland & Hart

October 2010 – Solera Green Living

September 2010 – REI Denver Flagship Store

August 2010 – Quiznos

July 2010 – MIGHTYkarma

June 2010 – Sweet Action Ice Cream

May 2010 – Denver Regional Council of Governments

April 2010 – Denver Water

March 2010 – Little Man Ice Cream

February 2010 – Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop

January 2010 – The Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado

December 2009 – Denver Pavilions

November 2009 – Human Powered Transit Authority

October 2009 – Jones Lang LaSalle

September 2009 – Downtown Denver Partnership & BID

August 2009 – Historic Denver’s Story Trek

July 2009 (Inaugural) – Watercourse Restaurant

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More about BikeDenver:

See BikeDenver’s PSA’s and learn about the great reasons to ride in Denver: “Priceless”“Why I Ride”

You can help make a better place to ride a bike by becoming a BikeDenver member: Join BikeDenver!

Want to hear our zippy new radio PSAs? Click to hear them here.

Meet Chris Mygatt, BikeDenver’s January Bike Hero! President and COO of Coldwell Banker’s Residential Brokerage, Colorado, Chris knows that living green is a top priority for many Denver homebuyers. As such, he’s passionate about supporting bicycling and sustainable living in our fair city, both personally and professionally.

Chris and his family live in the Wash Park neighborhood, and they marvel at how easy it is to get around by bike. “Within ¾ of a mile we have access to tons of trails–a huge network of paths. It’s pretty incredible.” And while Chris rides the 3-mile commute to his office as weather and offsite meetings allow, the rest of the time he rolls his Chevy Volt. “I’ve had it for almost a year, it just hit 10,000 miles, and the computer says it’s used 71 gallons of fuel. I’ve only filled up five times. In a year!” Better yet, charging the car is no problem; Chris just plugs it into his solar-panel-equipped garage and, as he puts it, “Zero carbon. It’s perfect.”

In 2005, Chris and Coldwell Banker’s Director of Marketing, Todd Moir, collaborated to create Ride the Range, a yearly event for Coldwell Banker employees covering 300 miles in three days and traveling between 14 Denver area offices. Proceeds from the ride are donated to agents’ favorite local non-profits. Chris says, “It’s a lot of fun and really motivates and mobilizes agents to get involved in a way that benefits the entire community.”

Ride the Range has been such a success that in 2009, Chris and Todd decided to add a public event, and the Coldwell Banker Denver Century Ride was born! This, the event’s third year, will be better than ever with a start/finish line at Stapleton’s Central Park and 25, 62, 85, and 100-mile ride options. The various routes include all of Denver’s best riding: Lookout Mountain, Castle Pines, and Cherry Creek Reservoir, just to name a few. Space is limited, so BikeDenver suggests signing up early here for this year’s Denver Century on Father’s Day, July 17^th. And don’t forget to tip your helmet to Chris when you see him out on your training rides to thank him for being a true Denver Bike Hero!

[Submitted by Erin Hilmer]

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Bike Hero of the Month Awards highlight different people each month, and help encourage other people to bike by telling the Hero’s personal story. The goal of the Bike Hero Awards Program is to showcase the diversity of citizen-cyclists and the people who support them in Denver.

BikeDenver’s Executive Director Piep van Heuven says: “We introduced the Bike Hero awards because we want to encourage a friendly environment for and public image of bicyclists in Denver. One of the ways we can do this is to showcase the different faces of and great stories about people in our community, like Chris, who ride bikes or help others get out there and ride. Through the Bike Hero awards, BikeDenver honors bicyclists of all ages and walks of life, from the first time bicyclist to the rain or shine bicyclist!  We all know people (our neighbors, co-workers, family members or community leaders) who inspire us to reach for the handlebars instead of the car keys. Take a moment to look around you and help BikeDenver recognize the people in our community who are making a difference for Denver, one ride at a time!”

Washington, DC – January 23, 2012 (Alliance for Biking and Walking)- In a new report, Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report, the Alliance for Biking & Walking ranks all 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities on bicycling and walking levels, safety, funding, and other factors.

This report comes at a critical moment, as Congress takes up the imminent passage of the next federal transportation bill, which dictates how billions of tax dollars will be spent over coming years. The Benchmarking Report reveals that, in nearly every city and state, pedestrians and bicyclists are disproportionately at risk of being killed, and currently receive less than a fair share of transportation dollars. While 12 percent of trips in the U.S. are by bike or foot, 14 percent of traffic fatalities are bicyclists and pedestrians. Pedestrian and bicycle projects receive less than 2 percent of federal transportation dollars.

“The Benchmarking Report shows that biking and walking are smart solutions to many of our country’s most pressing challenges when it comes to transportation, job creation and health,” Jeffrey Miller, Alliance President/CEO, says.

The report compiles persuasive evidence that bicycle and pedestrian projects create more jobs than highway projects, and provide at least three dollars of benefit for every dollar invested. The report also highlights the health benefits of active transportation, showing that states with the highest rates of bicycling and walking are also among those with the lowest rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. “The data points to one conclusion: Investing in biking and walking projects creates jobs, leads to more people biking and walking, and improves safety and public health,” Miller says.

John Pucher, a professor at Rutgers University, emphasizes: “The wide range of environmental, social, and economic benefits of walking and bicycling, so clearly documented in this report, justify greatly increased investment in facilities and programs to encourage more walking and cycling, and to improve the safety of these most sustainable of all transportation modes.”

Other highlights from the report include:

• In 2009, 40% of trips in the United States were shorter than 2 miles, yet 87% of these trips are by car. Twenty-seven percent of trips were shorter than 1 mile. Still, Americans use their cars for 62% of these trips.

• While bicycling and walking fell 66% between 1960 and 2009, obesity levels increased 156%.

• Seniors are the most vulnerable bicyclists and pedestrians. Adults over 65 make up 10% of walking trips, yet comprise 19% of pedestrian fatalities. This age group accounts for 6% of bicycling trips, yet 10% of bicyclist fatalities.

• Bicycling and walking projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just 7 jobs created per $1 million spent on highway projects. Cost benefit analysis show that up to $11.80 in benefits can be gained for every $1 invested in bicycling and walking.

• On average, the largest 51 U.S. cities show a 29% increase in bicycle facilities since the 2010 report. Cities report that 20,908 miles of bicycle facilities and 7,079 miles of pedestrian facilities are planned for the coming years (much of this contingent upon funding).

Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and made possible through additional support from AARP and Planet Bike. To view rankings of the 50 states and 51 largest U.S. cities, and to download or purchase a hard copy of the report visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/benchmarking (after January 23).

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About the Alliance for Biking & Walking:

The Alliance for Biking & Walking is the coalition of 200 state and local bicycle and pedestrian organizations working together to promote bicycling and walking in North American communities. The Alliance strengthens and unites state and local organizations through research, sharing best practices, training, resources, and grants. For more information or to find a local organization visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org.

Get ready for Bicycle Colorado’s 2nd annual Colorado Bicycle Summit, taking place February 6-7 in downtown Denver. The summit is focused around improving bicycling in Colorado, identifying issues, and figuring out ways to improve. With awesome presentations, more breakout sessions, and exciting keynote speakers like Governor John Hickenlooper, this summit shouldn’t be missed. Last year’s summit sold out so make sure to register soon! For more info, check out http://bicyclecolo.org/articles/colorado-bicycle-summit-2012-pg1233.htm.