RSSSat 1 Apr 2006
The mission of Bike Denver is to promote and encourage bicycling as an energy efficient, non-polluting, healthy, and enjoyable transportation alternative within the City and County of Denver.
NEXT MEETING: May 11th, 6-7pm, Union Station, Bicycle Colorado offices, Suite 236 upstairs.
FUNÂ Â RIDEÂ Â FUNÂ Â RIDEÂ Â FUNÂ Â RIDE
Join us for a Cinco de Mayo pub crawl on Friday, May 5. Meet at Benny’s Restaurant at 7th and Logan (301 E 7th Ave) at 6:00. Enjoy the beverage of your choice at Benny’s, and we’ll move on to the Milagro Taco Bar at 17th and Vine St. (1700 Vine St) for stop #2. Our final destination will be Mezcal on Colfax Avenue (3230 E Colfax Ave, between Steele and Adams, near the Bluebird Theater). Bring $ for drinks and snacks—and don’t forget your lock! As always, helmets are required.  Ride updates will be posted on the website at www.bikedenver.org. Any questions, contact Tracy. Hope to see you there!
ITEMS IN THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER:
** PUT THE JOY BACK IN THE JOY OF CYCLING
** VOLUNTEER FOR PEOPLE’S FAIR
** SIGN UP NOW FOR ADVOCACY TRAINING
** PLATTE RIVER TRAIL DETOUR SAFETY CONCERNS
PUT THE JOY BACK IN THE JOY OF CYCLING
Here are 10 great reasons to finish reading this newsletter and get out on your bike!
1. Spring is here! You can really smell the flowers when you’re outside and on your bike.
2.   Take your friends and/or family along; bicycling is a great weekend recreational activity that costs nothing to do.
3.   Got your eye on a new bike? Donate your old bike to a local charity or community bike program so that someone can take advantage of your old bike.
4.   Go shopping with your bike - see how easy it is to buy several days of groceries without the hassle of finding parking or putting gas in your car.
5.   Bike to work - people who bike to work report feeling better and significantly more productive at work. Save money, gas, parking, and hassles.
6.   Sign up for a bike tour on your next vacation.
7.   Teach a child how to ride a bike. This is a gift that lasts a lifetime.
8.   Work off those extra winter pounds - this type of exercise really feels good!
9.   Ride past a gas station for fun. (Or stop in if you need some free air.)
10.   What are you waiting for? Read the next two pages and then go for a spin!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR BIKE PARKING AT PEOPLE’S FAIR
BikeDenver is once again providing bike parking for cyclists traveling to the People’s Fair to be held.
June 3rd & 4th. The corral will be at the Colfax & Lincoln St. entrance and will be open Saturday 10am-8:30pm and Sunday 10am-7:30pm. There will be an online sign-up sheet available shortly but you can indicate general interest and availability by signing in on the web site now. Just go to www.bikedenver.org and click on “Get Involved”.
SIGN UP NOW FOR ADVOCACY TRAINING
BikeDenver is hosting the Thunderhead Alliance Training for bicycle advocacy leaders on July 14-16. The focus of the training will be on organizing and carrying out campaigns to improve pedestrian and bicycling conditions in your community. To find out more, visit Thunderhead’s website at: www.thunderheadalliance.org and follow the links to the Denver training flyer and registration form.
The training will take place at the Temple Events Center on Friday evening and move to REI Flagship Store for Sat and Sun. Registration is $250 and includes the Friday reception, Saturday breakfast, lunch, ride and party, plus Sunday’s breakfast and lunch. Discounts are available for additional representatives from the same organization. Leaders of state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations are urged to sign up now as space is limited and the price goes up after June 14th.
The Thunderhead Alliance is the national coalition of state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations working in unison to break down the barriers to safe bicycling and walking in North American communities.
PLATTE RIVER TRAIL DETOUR SAFETY CONCERNS
We have heard from a number of members that the detour of the Platte River Trail at 58th and Brighton Blvd. is creating a lot of safety concerns. There is heavy truck traffic in the area and poor visibility of the riders puts them at risk.
According to James Potter at Wastewater Capital Projects Management, the agency doing the work, they have studied other detour routes but the current one is deemed to be the safest of all the options. However, they will be doing less work over the summer, “due to rising river levels and are examining the possibility of installing a temporary …path linking the trail systems…” If this happens, it would occur in mid-May but would disappear again in August.
A phone number has been set up for detoured trail users to state major concerns and/or safety issues: 303-865-3048. Use it wisely.
LOTS OF INFORMATION ON NEW BIKEDENVER WEB SITE
Our redesigned and upgraded website has a number of new features, so check it out at www.BikeDenver.org. Sign on to the Forum to get the latest suggestions, news of Trail Conditions, Letters to the Editor and other tidbits from fellow cyclists. Current cycling news and action alerts appear along with links to many other bike related sites. The calendar on the web page will be more current than the one usually found in this newsletter so look for it there.
BIKE EVENT CAP IS LIFTED
Thanks to a coalition of bicycle advocates and event organizers led by Bicycle Colorado working with the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), the cap on bicycle events on Colorado highways has been lifted by the. During the news conference, CSP Chief Trostel said that the cap “will not be implemented now or in the foreseeable future.”
According to Bicycle Colorado, the State Patrol is adopting recommendations from a working group consisting of the State Patrol, Bicycle Colorado, and the Colorado Department of Transportation. This includes a revised guidebook of best practices for planning and safety during the events, improved signage and training classes, and a hotline to the Colo. State Patrol that may be used by event riders who observe cars driving in a threatening or unsafe manner.
This outcome clearly shows what can be accomplished when advocates and decision makers agree upon the common goal of improving the safety and access for all users of our roads. We extend our thanks and support to all who worked so hard to make this outcome possible.
NEWS FROM BICYCLE COLORADO
At the annual Bicycle Colorado Gala, winners of three statewide awards were announced. An open nomination process resulted in three finalists in each category and these were then voted on by bicyclists across Colorado. Congratulations to the winners!!
Bicycling Event of the Year: Triple Bypass
Bicycling Club of the Year: COMotion Sports/Yeti Racing
Bicycle Retailer of the Year: Wheat Ridge Cyclery
One of Colorado’s most popular roads for biking is about to get a little better. In early April, the Jefferson County Commissioners approved a project to add paved bicycle shoulders to Deer Creek Canyon Road between Owens Street and Philipsburg. This front range climb is located just southwest of Littleton. Bike Jeffco led the effort and their seven years of persistence resulted in success. Construction is slated for this summer and is expected to be completed by October.
Source: Bicycle Colorado - www.BicycleColorado.org
HELPFUL WEB SITE
Here is a helpful web site www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/ has an online version of the 46 page booklet Bicycling Street Smarts: Riding Confidently, Legally
and Safely. It has a lot of helpful hints, great diagrams for navigating intersections, group riding and safely riding after dark. Check it out.
MEMBERSHIP IN BIKEDENVER means:
1. We have your email address. We send you action alerts and a monthly newsletter.
2. You act on BikeDenver action items, as you feel willing and able.
3. You recruit other bicyclists to join BikeDenver. Membership is FREE!!!
To join BikeDenver send an email to info@bikedenver.org and write “subscribe” in the subject.
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