RSSThu 1 Jul 2004
The mission of BikeDenver 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: July 8th, 6pm, Bicycle Colorado’s office in Union Station, 2nd floor, north wing
FREE MOVIES! FREE FOOD! MEET NEW FRIENDS!
Hi, my name is Gary, currently the bicycle parking coordinator for BikeDenver. I’m responsible for the bike corrals and volunteers that BikeDenver supplies for many of the outdoor events and festivals throughout the year. This includes The People’s Fair, Moonlight Classic, and The Taste of Colorado.
Why does BikeDenver provide this service? Three main reasons: It allows cyclists the opportunity to ride to these events knowing their bikes will be safe & secure at a centralized location; it gives BikeDenver the opportunity to introduce ourselves and our mission to these cyclists; and it’s the main fundraiser for BikeDenver from patron donations. To continue to provide this important service, we need a large number of volunteers. We typically ask for three hours of your time per shift.
What’s in it for you? The Taste of Colorado provides free food coupons to our volunteers. Catch a free outdoor movie at the Forest City Stapleton, Inc. Stapleton site. And finally, make new friends. Within your three-hour shift, you can park up to 100 bikes. Check the cool bikes out, meet their owners, and enjoy a wonderful time at the event or festival.
Interested? I hope so. Contact me at bikerossmiller@earthlink.net. I look forward to hearing from you. THANKS!!!!
ITEMS IN THIS MONTH’S NEWSLETTER:
** Update On BikeDenver Action Plan
** Bike To Work Day a Big Success
** Cherry Creek Bike Rack Opens
** Denver Police Bicycle Bureau Public Auction
** News from the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee
** Denver-Boulder Bikeway Update
** Selected Bike Bits from Adventure Cycling
UPDATE ON BIKEDENVER ACTION PLAN FOR 2004
Goals for BikeDenver, developed at the November Planning Retreat, will be reviewed and decided upon at the upcoming July 8th meeting.
The application process toward becoming a 501-C3 non-profit organization continues, as does the formalizing of the organizational hierarchy. Sterling Cassel volunteered for the position of VP of External Communication.
The new website is taking shape with many members contributing ideas and content. It is hoped that the new improved website will be ready by next month.
The issue of expanding our member information base was raised, with some suggestion that this would need to be accompanied by addition membership benefits.
Gary reported that the bike parking at the People Fair was a financial success. He has been approached by other organizations interested in providing bike parking for patrons of their events. Seems as though more and more people are traveling to events around town via bicycles!!!!!!
WE WILL NEED HELP FROM OUR MEMBERS IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WORK. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING ON ANY OF THESE PROJECTS, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL MESSAGE TO info@bikedenver.org. INDICATE THE PROJECT(S) YOU ARE WILLING TO HELP WITH AND ENOUGH PERSONAL INFORMATION SO THAT THE LEAD PERSON FOR THAT PROJECT CAN CONTACT YOU.
BIKE TO WORK DAY A BIG SUCCESS
DRCOG reports that 17,665 cyclists registered to participate in this year’s Bike to Work Day. That represents a VMT savings of 263,279! (VMT = Vehicle Miles Traveled). “The best year yet!” The media provided great coverage of the event including the fact that Mayor Hickenlooper was among those who biked to work.
CHERRY CREEK BIKE RACK OPENS
Mayor Hickenlooper and Councilwoman Jeannie Robb were at the Cherry Creek Bike Rack Grand Opening ceremony on June 17th. The facility is a 1000 square feet ground-level storefront location at 170 Detroit Street in the Janus building with free parking for 75 bikes. While there are no showers there are changing facilities and restrooms, with provisions for storing equipment (for a fee).
Campus Cycles will operate the facility, with a small retail operation using approximately half of the space to sell bike accessories and snacks, demo and rent bikes, provide RTD information, lead bicycle tours of the city and region, etc. They will sell memberships that will include free bike inspections, T shirts, water bottles, etc. Signs adjacent to the Cherry Creek trail will direct bicyclists to the site. There are also many bicyclists who live within 3 - 4 miles of the site who can use it for traveling to work or shopping.
Funding for the facility is primarily private, with some federal funding used for outreach. For more information go to www.CherryCreekbikerack.com
(The above information was adapted from the MBAC minutes)
DENVER POLICE BICYCLE BUREAU PUBLIC AUCTION
The next public auction will take place on Saturday, September 25th at the Denver Police Bicycle Bureau located at 35th Street and Arkins Court. Open inspection of the bikes will be held at 9 a.m. and the auction will begin at 10 a.m.
At the last auction approximately 150 adult mountain bikes, miscellaneous bikes and children’s bikes obtained by the city as lost/found and seized items were offered. Payment for items and tax by cash, Traveler’s Checks, or Visa/MasterCard (with a user fee) is due immediately after the auction.
As a reminder, Denver residents can register bicycles using the Denver Police Department’s Online Bike Registration form, which helps investigators return bikes to their owners faster if ever lost or stolen.
NEWS FROM THE MAYOR’S BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Curtis Park Neighborhood
A number of issues were raised at the last meeting. Access to downtown is difficult because Curtis St. is one-way outbound for a few blocks north of Broadway. Bicyclists use Champa and Stout, even though these streets have more traffic. Both of these streets connect to Martin Luther King Drive east of Downing. While Lawrence and Arapahoe Streets have bike lanes in downtown, these streets are not as good for bikes in Curtis Park. A MBAC field trip to look at the Curtis Park situation was scheduled for June 15th. More discussion is expected at the next MBAC meeting.
Valley Highway I-25 Project
Valuable input was provided at an April 28th Citizens Working Group meeting for the project. Residents from both the Baker and Athmar Park neighborhoods were present as well as several members of the MBAC. The straightest of all the alignments previously proposed for the Bayaud bike/ped. bridge is now shown on all three of the system alternatives. Good comments for bike and ped access on Ohio Street to cross Lincoln and Broadway to reach the Broadway RTD station and the Gates site were also provided. There will be additional process for bike and ped. topics for this long term duration project, but the level of consideration given to date is encouraging.
Cherry Creek Arts Festival
During the Cherry Creek Arts festival on the Fourth of July weekend outdoor bike parking corrals will be provided at 2nd & Detroit and 3rd & Steele. Since this is a very popular event with limited car parking available, bicycling to the event is very popular.
NEWS FROM BICYCLE COLORADO
Safe Routes Sponsors Receive Golden Sprocket Award
At our May 1st Gala Celebration, we awarded the Golden Sprocket-Bicycle Colorado’s highest honor-to the five state representatives and senators who sponsored House Bill 1309, Colorado Safe Routes to School. Congratulations to Rep. Greg Brophy & Sen. Ron Tupa (sponsors) and Rep. Bob Briggs, Rep. Mike Merrifield, and Sen. Ken Chlouber (co-sponsors). Photos and Gala recap at www.BicycleColorado.org/for/Gala
Boulder and Longmont Named Bicycle Friendly Communities
The League of American Bicyclists recently honored Boulder and Longmont with their designation as Bicycle Friendly Communities. Longmont received the Bronze designation and Boulder was given Gold honors. They join Denver (Silver) and Fort Collins (Silver) to bring Colorado’s total to four Bicycle Friendly Communities! We are proud of the effort and programs being put forth by these municipalities, businesses, and bicycle advocates. For lists of all winners and applications for your community visit www.BicycleFriendlyCommunity.org
Great West MS 150 Supports Advocacy
The Great West MS 150 Bike Tour is helping improve bicycling in Colorado by donating $1 per rider towards bicycle advocacy. Thank you MS 150! Ride details: July 10-11, “Rock the Rampart” www.fightmscolorado.org
Colorado Safe Routes Becomes Law
On June 5th, 30 days after passing the Legislature, the Colorado Safe Routes to School Bill automatically became law without Governor Owens’ signature. Next BC will work with the Department of Transportation to help craft the Safe Routes program and make funding available to Safe Routes projects as soon as possible. www.BicycleColorado.org/for/SafeRoutes
BC and IMBA Stress Mountain Biking to DC Leaders
Bicycle Colorado recently attended IMBA’s Mountain Bike Summit near Washington D.C. The Summit covered many topics important to mountain bikers to ensure fun, sustainable places to ride. Colorado’s attendees also included COPMOBA (Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Association), Eagle County, and BOA (Boulder Off-road Alliance). In addition, the Colorado delegation lobbied hard on Capital Hill. Colorado’s congressional leaders learned about the value of the federal Recreational Trails Program and the importance of mountain biking to the state’s residents, tourism industry, and conservation efforts. We also asked for congress to increase funding for recreation management on federal lands. Check out photos of Colorado mountain bikers in action in the halls of congress at www.BicycleColorado.org/to/Summit and IMBA’s summary at www.imba.com.
Source: Bicycle Colorado - www.bicyclecolorado.org
DENVER-BOULDER BIKEWAY UPDATE
The US 36 EIS project team is currently evaluating four main transportation packages and the Denver-Boulder Bikeway is still part of each one of these packages. This US 36 EIS project team even includes an experienced transportation consultant dedicated to analyzing, evaluating, and designing the proposed Denver-Boulder Bikeway in detail. Later this summer the Draft EIS will be prepared as the number of transportation packages is narrowed down for even more detailed cost, use, and routing analysis.
The bottom line: the next 12 months will be absolutely critical in finalizing which bicycle, bus, and rail improvements will be coming to Colorado. Stay tuned, stay informed, stay involved, and ride carefully.
(Source: Build The Bikeway - www.denverboulderbikeway.org)
SELECTED “BIKE BITS” FROM ADVENTURE CYCLING
Bicycling Begets Big Bucks
According to a study done recently by the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s bicycle and pedestrian division, bicycling in the Outer Banks — just one region of one state — generates an estimated annual economic benefit of $60 million. Next time you hear a local official or anyone else pooh-poohing the impact that cycling and/or cyclists can make on a local economy, slip this into their bookmarked web favorites: http://www.ncdot.org/transit/bicycle/safety/safety_economicimpact.html
Riding For Hope
The twenty members of Lance Armstrong’s 2004 Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope team have been chosen out of a field of nearly twelve-hundred applicants. To the man and woman, they are cyclists whose lives have been touched by cancer, in some cases their own lives, and in other instances those of their patients and/or loved ones. Beginning October 1 in Los Angeles, the group plans to ride thirty-four-hundred miles - relay style, in four groups of five riders - across the country in just eight days, finishing in our nation’s capital. Go here and then click on “2004 Rider Profiles” to learn more about this inspirational crew: http://www.tourofhope.org/team/index.htm
If you want to subscribe and get the unabridged Bike Bits contact Adventure Cycling at: http://www.adventurecycling.org/bikebits/manage.cfm
UPCOMING EVENTS - ADVANCE PLANNING CALENDER
July 5-11
Cycle America’s Coast-to-Coast Tour
www.cycleamerica.com
Wyoming
July 10
Triple Bypass
www.teamevergreen.org
Bergen Park, CO
July 10-11
Great West MS 150 Bike Tour
www.fightmscolorado.org
Denver, CO
July 17-19
Courage Classic
www.couragetours.com
July 24
Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill
bethwrenestes@quest.net
Idaho Springs, CO
Aug 14
Moonlight Classic
www.moonlight-classic.com
Denver, CO
Sept 11
Park to Park Bicycle Tour
parktopark@bicyclecolo.org
Cherry Creek State Park, CO
Sept 12
Buffalo Bicycle Classic
www.buffalobicycleclassic.com
Boulder, CO
Sept 18
Tour of the Vineyards
www.emgcolorado.com
Palisades, CO
Oct 1-3
Moab Century Tour
www.skinnytirefestival.com
Moab, UT
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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