Issuu

FALL/WINTER 2017

RIDE TIME NEWS

In this issue 2 Letters from Ella and Dan

Denver Initiative results

6-8

BICYCLE COLORADO REACHES FAR, WIDE Bicycle Colorado has spent the last year working at a dizzying pace to improve bicycling across the state. From our work with the Colorado Department of Transportation, or CDOT, to bringing Strava Metro data to city planners and advocates to our advocacy work in the legislature to the creation of Project Shift—a unique and engaging program bringing people together through a shared interest in increasing car-lite lifestyles in the city and beyond—Bicycle Colorado works for every rider in the state.

Meet our supporters

Strava makes every rider an advocate

Through our partnership with CDOT and Strava, Bicycle Colorado is bringing Colorado to the cutting edge of bicycling advocacy. CDOT’s purchase of Strava Metro data allows local agencies and bicycle advocacy groups to use aggregated, anonymous data to improve bicycle options across the state.

Q&A: Do you need a bike camera

“Thanks to CDOT’s investment and their desire to Record attendance at a Strava training make Strava data available to anyone interested session in Denver in using it, every rider is an advocate,” said Rachel Hultin, Bicycle Colorado’s active transportation manager. City planners are able to use the Metro data to see where people are and are not riding, and it will allow advocacy organizations to make a stronger case for improved investment in bicycle infrastructure.

Helping communities in need Thanks to generous support from the Colorado Health Foundation and Gates Family Foundation, Bicycle Colorado works across the state to improve conditions so all Coloradans have access to safe, affordable, desirable and rewarding options to ride a bike. Hultin joined other state and national experts as part of the town of Limon’s “Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design” (CIRD) workshop to draft a trail and wayfinding plan connecting Limon residents and visitors to local and nearby destinations. Thanks to Bicycle Colorado’s input, the city completed bike lanes on a route connecting to Limon’s consolidated school in just 11 weeks!

Never miss an advocacy issue or fun event!

In April, the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) asked Bicycle Colorado to provide technical assistance to Custer (cont. on pg 4)

Visit our website! | bicyclecolorado.org

Staff EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dan Grunig

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Amy Morfas

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION MANAGER

Rachel Hultin

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Jack Todd

DENVER DIRECTOR

Piep van Heuven DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Michele Hogan

EDUCATION PROGRAM MANAGER

Maureen McCanna FINANCE MANAGER

Justin Millar

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

Erica Hine

POLICY DIRECTOR

Ted Heyd

Board of Directors President, Ella Lyons Vice President, Brad Tucker Secretary, Scot Harris Treasurer, Erik Esborg Shannon Anderson Spencer Compton Karl Friedman Alex Gillett Lee Herndon Graham Hollis Mike Lee Paul Majors & Roberta Smith Terry Malouf & Dave Walker Sean Petty Russ Shaw

Advisory Board Bob Moore Ned Overend Andy Pruitt Bill Ritter Greg Seebart

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Letters from Ella and Dan New beginnings at Bicycle Colorado As we approach the end of our 25th year as an organization, Bicycle Colorado stands at the forefront of bicycle advocacy. We’ve come a long way from our first bike lane campaign to housing the Governor’s $100 million Colorado Pedals Project to become the number one state for cycling. As you’ll discover in this issue of Ride Time News, our reach is not just broad, it is also deep. From involvement in new engagement programs across the state to our promotion of increased trail connections to make riding easier, safer and more approachable, Colorado is pedaling into better bicycling by the day. Through the strength of our members, good things tend to follow. Like many growing organizations, ours continues to evolve. Most notably, Dan Grunig, Bicycle Colorado’s executive director of 15 years, will be stepping down at the end of the calendar year. Dan has been a gracious, capable and passionate leader during his tenure at Bicycle Colorado. While we’re sad to see him go, we’re excited to hear about his upcoming adventures. At the time of this publication, our board is conducting a national search for a new executive director; we’re excited for the future. Also, any statewide advocacy organization would be hardpressed to find a more capable team than the one Dan has assembled at Bicycle Colorado. Every day, the staff works hard to make Colorado the best place to ride a bike, and they’ll continue to do so tirelessly under new leadership. As members, you’ll be among the first to know when Dan’s successor is announced. In the meantime, please enjoy this issue of Ride Time News, keep up to date with other announcements in eNews or support our work by making a gift in Dan’s honor by going to www.bicyclecolorado.org/ThanksDan.

Ella Lyons Board President

Ella

Saying goodbye It has truly been an honor serving Bicycle Colorado’s members and supporters for over 15 years. Thank you for always being there to voice support and take action. I feel so lucky for my time here, which provided so many rewarding experiences. In my role, I have been able to travel this beautiful state and learn so much from each of you. Bicycle Colorado is in good hands, with a fantastic board and staff team. Keep up the great work, I will be watching and cheering! All my best, Dan

Dan Grunig Executive Director

Bicycle Colorado is working to make this the number one state for bicycling. Our mission is to encourage and promote bicycling, increase safety, improve conditions and provide a voice for bicyclists in Colorado.

Bike Shorts

Maureen McCanna, our education program manager, gives safety pointers on helmet fit in Safe Routes to School programming

Getting kids to class by bike Through Safe Routes to School (SRTS), Bicycle Colorado promotes active transportation with our education and encouragement services, as well as by working with city planners to change the physical environment students use to get to school. Since last fall, Bicycle Colorado has supported Safe Routes to School programs in Buena Vista, Golden, Holyoke, Sterling, Center and Pagosa Springs, in addition to several schools in the Denver area. Our education programs teach kids about the benefits of active transportation and bike and pedestrian safety, including how to be visible, predictable and how to check yourself and your bike before riding. We also use encouragement strategies to motivate students and provide schools and cities with the tools to form SRTS coalitions, identify the safest routes to school, and organize walk and bike to school groups and events. Our policy team works with local governments to make sure bike lanes and racks are installed so the infrastructure is usable and welcoming. One example of our SRTS work came in the Town of Center, where we provided a two-day training to the town’s Safe Routes to School team. We did this so Center could meet their goal of improving kids’ health and safe options to get to school. They have since celebrated Bike and Walk to School Days, developed rewards for students, hosted bike rodeos and are considering an infrastructure grant to improve the safety of a highway crossing on the way to school.

Introducing our newest board member, Sean Petty Sean Petty, who joined the Bicycle Colorado team as a member of our advisory board in the fall of 2016, has made the switch to an active member of our board of directors. Petty has more than 25 years of experience in the bicycling world. In addition to his work at USA Cycling, Petty has also served on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road Commission. He is the only Road Sean Petty Commission member from outside of Europe. Petty now works as the chief executive officer of Firenze 15K Sports, where he’s continued to advise USA Cycling and run races such as the first women’s USA Pro Challenge and women’s Colorado Classic.

“I am very honored to be joining the Bicycle Colorado board of directors. The outstanding staff and board have made great strides in making Colorado one of the best states in the country for all forms and aspects of cycling— for commuting, training, racing, recreation and improved health,” said Petty. “I look forward to working with the board and the new executive director to continue the great work of Bicycle Colorado.”

Legislative Look Ahead The 2018 legislative session begins in January. Building on the successes of the 2017 session, Bicycle Colorado is excited for what’s ahead and our continued collaboration with legislators, advocacy coalitions and you—our members. In the upcoming session, we’ll continue to focus on the issue of safer roadway conditions for all users, but especially bicyclists. Distracted driving remains a primary concern. Alongside our many partners, we’ll continue working in this upcoming session to address this issue with the goal of reversing the trend and providing safer conditions for all bicyclists. We will also continue our focus from the last session on statewide transportation funding. Many of you called, emailed or visited with your legislator last session to support the passage of HB 1242 and statewide transportation funding. The bill narrowly failed but the significant funding shortage remains. Please stay tuned through the fall, winter and spring via our website and eNews. We’ll be sharing updates on our legislative work and importantly, how you can help bring about change!

Bike to Work Day 2017 brings a crowd Bike to Work Day 2017 took place across Colorado on June 28, 2017. The Denver Regional Council of Governments, or DRCOG, estimates that more than 34,000 people commuted by bike that day in the state’s capitol—making it the second largest event of its kind in the country—and Bicycle Colorado was there to provide a boost for riders. We were out meeting and encouraging riders—and even providing snacks!—at Civic Center Park, Denver’s flagship REI on the South Platte River, and at the Boulder B-cycle office. More than 150 new members joined the Bicycle Colorado team on Bike to Work Day after seeing us out there cheering them on. Bike to Work Day takes place the fourth Wednesday of June each year. Mark your calendars for next year!

Visit our website! | bicyclecolorado.org

Programs (continued from pg 1)

County for their Blueprint 2.0 grant. The grant included improving on-road and trail options for bicyclists as part of an overall economic development plan for the county. Bicycle Colorado provided in-depth trail and transportation planning expertise, helping the local trails group identify strategies to work with CDOT and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). Bicycle Colorado is also working with Lamar to fulfill their GOCO Inspire grant aimed at involving youth, parents and older adults to become more active and enjoy the great outdoors. Lamar’s Inspire plan includes bikes in schools as well as active living programs to support the first phase of the Lamar Loop, a nine-mile loop that will connect nearly every school and park in the town.

Crunching the numbers with CDOT to improve riding conditions and safety CDOT engaged Bicycle Colorado to conduct a trail user survey so they could better understand how and why people are, and are not, using the C-470 trail in southwest Denver. Over 700 riders from across the state responded with generally positive feedback. The data will inform future plans for the trail. In support of the Colorado Pedals Project, CDOT and Bicycle Colorado are also working together on “3 Feet to Pass” messaging on variable message signs throughout the state. Bicycle Colorado’s voice in bicycle-related planning, and our oversight of the Colorado Pedals Project, was invaluable in this process. While CDOT conducted studies on corridors used regularly by bicycles, we correlated the data to apply relevant messaging and connected local agencies to CDOT so they could coordinate their messaging.

Kids of all ages have learned to ride at our Bike School

Programs educate new bicyclists and encourage car-lite lifestyles In 2016, Bicycle Colorado launched the Bike School, an educational program that helps people include bicycling as an everyday transportation choice. Bike School aims to teach both kids and adults how to ride bikes. Bicycle Colorado provides the bikes for classes, and space is donated by the City of Arvada and by Alchemy Bicycle Company in Denver for people to have a safe place to learn. Though Bike School takes place in Denver, we’ve taught people to ride from all over Colorado, and have even had someone travel from Kansas City to attend. To date, we’ve taught dozens of new riders, and the majority of attendees learn how to ride in just one class! Another success of the Bike School has been working with the African Community Center in Denver, or ACC, teaching refugee women to ride. “The ACC came to us,” said Maureen McCanna, our education program manager. “For a lot of these refugees, it’s illegal or culturally inappropriate to ride bicycles in their home countries, so we’re helping to empower these women through the freedom of riding a bike.” Bicycle Colorado helped launch Project Shift, a WalkDenver program that brings together neighbors to support and advance a car-lite lifestyle. Project Shift participants learn how to effectively advocate and to connect neighbors, encourage walkability, bikeability and connections to transit. The program costs are funded through grants from the Colorado Health Foundation and the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality program.

Promoting the Save the ‘Zone program in Lakewood

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Bicycle Colorado is also an active part of Save the ‘Zone, an initiative to educate and encourage Lakewood residents to shift their travel behaviors from relying primarily on cars. As part of the partnership with the City of Lakewood, the Denver Regional Council of Governments and Way to Go, Bicycle Colorado helps people realize the impact of their carbon footprint and shift rides from cars to other means of transportation—whether that’s by foot, bike, bus or even just carpooling—to decrease ground-level ozone pollution. Even when funding isn’t directly related to bicycles, bicycles are part of the solution!

Programs

Denver Initiative Producing Results

$139 MILLION FOR BIKING AND WALKING INCLUDED IN GO BOND While Bicycle Colorado is busy working on projects across the state, we’ve also invested plenty to make Denver a model city for biking and walking. Since we began our Denver Initiative in May 2016, we’ve seen bike lanes built, Bike School students taught to ride, health equity programming developed and much more.

Partnering to create a unified voice and getting results With our efforts and partners, a significant amount of money was included in the November GO Bond ballot package—$24 million directly for the bike lane network, and an additional $115 million for other bike and pedestrian projects—and that is a direct result of the work done through our Denver Initiative. Among the first priorities of our Denver Initiative was partnering with other like-minded groups to create a stronger voice for our community. Out of this, the Denver Streets Partnership and Better Broadway Coalition were born. The Denver Streets Partnership brings together advocates focused primarily on biking and walking in Denver.

Bringing innovative events to Colorado The Colorado Classic took place over four days in August. It featured one-day circuits in Colorado Springs, Breckenridge and Denver (twice). In Denver, the bike race coincided with Velorama Festival. Learn more by reading our Business Member profile on page 6. Bicycle Colorado helped organize Velorama’s Kid’s Zone— identifying youth-bike organization partners to run classes and fun events over the course of the festival—and the Mayor’s Ride, in which Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock acknowledged the importance of raising the next generation of bicyclists in the state to improve health and the economy. We also helped include amateur racing in the event through wonderful support of the Daniels Fund.

“We realized that if we speak with one voice, we will have more political power,” said Piep van Heuven, Bicycle Colorado’s Denver director. “We wanted to set a benchmark for the city and give them a funding goal to achieve.” Learn more at DenverStreetsPartnership.org. The Better Broadway Coalition is dedicated to making Denver’s streets better for everyone who uses them— bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users and drivers alike. It was formed to provide a strong voice of support for the two-way protected bike lane that runs several blocks of Broadway’s busy commercial district—the first bike lane of its kind in Denver. The pilot project was overwhelmingly well received, and now the city is planning to fund a new stretch of the lane connecting it to the Cherry Creek Trail and much more of Denver’s bicycle network. Bicycle Colorado is also a part of the Vision Zero Coalition, which focused on eliminating traffic fatalities by shining a spotlight on street design and safety and get the city to update its street design practices.

Working to support health equity Through a partnership with DaVita, Inc. and Denver Parks and Recreation, Bicycle Colorado helped launch the MY Denver Bikes pilot program. In the pilot program, 100 kids earned a bike by taking part in a weeklong class, in which they built bikes donated All smiles! by DaVita, learned mechanical bike skills, rules of the road and about infrastructure. Bicycle Colorado wrote the program’s curriculum and trained the instructors from Denver Parks and Recreation. Learn about another of our health equity programs in our “Supporter Profiles” on page 8.

Bicyclists join Mayor Hancock to celebrate the curb-protected bike lane on 14th Street in Denver

Denver working to become model city for bicyclists Directly and indirectly related to our efforts, Denver is making strides to become a stronger city for bicyclists. In August of this year, Denver rolled out its first curb-protected bike lane downtown, and in September they completed another innovative design on Wynkoop Street as part of the proposed “5280 Loop”—a 5.28 mile bike loop that will allow residents and visitors to easily access downtown Denver’s many sights and amenities. We continue to advocate for elevated and separated bike lanes for all Coloradans. Additionally, in the coming years, the Denver Department of Transportation will become its own department outside of Public Works. That means the money that is dedicated to projects like Mayor Hancock’s Mobility Action Plan—$2 billion—is allocated to transportation alone.

Visit our website! | bicyclecolorado.org

Business Member RACE PARTY MUSIC BRINGS NEW AUDIENCE TO BICYCLING WITH VELORAMA August 10-13, 2017 marked the first-ever Velorama Festival and Colorado Classic, a music festival and bike race that brought pro racing back to Colorado while celebrating arts and culture in Denver’s River North District, better known as RiNo. The event was put on by Race Party Music, or RPM, and took place over four days, with circuits in Colorado Springs, Breckenridge and Denver (twice). Bicycle Colorado was involved in the event’s inaugural run as a supporter and beneficiary, with a portion of the event’s proceeds donated to us. We talked with Ken Gart, Colorado’s “bike czar,” race chairman of the Colorado Classic and the organizer of RPM to learn more about the first year of Velorama and why Bicycle Colorado was chosen as a supported cause.

We did some other things that were different—we featured female announcers and had no podium girls, and I think that was great. The six-man teams, instead of eight- or nine-man teams, also made the race a bit more exciting. A lot of what we did was received really well in the cycling community. The music festival also had great attendance. We had about 30,000 people over three days attend the festival. Wilco and Death Cab for Cutie were really well attended, people loved it.

How did Velorama and the Colorado Classic come to be?

Why did Race Party Music choose to support Bicycle Colorado with proceeds?

I was involved back when Governor Bill Ritter and Lance Armstrong came up with the idea to bring pro cycling back to Colorado seven or eight years ago. I worked with the state to devise the appropriate role for the race. When it became apparent that the then-ownership group wasn’t going to re-up, I helped bring an investor group together, which became RPM. We wanted the race to be economically self-sustaining while featuring a lot of the things that the Pro Challenge and the races like the Red Zinger had done.

Part of the goal with Race Party Music is to celebrate health and wellness, and the economic vitality that cycling brings to the state. Bicycle Colorado is doing the best work of any bicycle advocacy group, probably in the country. I think the work Dan [Grunig, Bicycle Colorado’s executive director] and the whole team do is powerful.

You mentioned that the race would have a new finance model. Tell us more. The idea was to change what had prevented the USA Pro Challenge from being self-sustaining, but to keep the things that kept attendance and interest and made it an iconic bike race. The biggest changes we made were scheduling the race for four days instead of seven, to tie it to a music festival to try and broaden the audience and reach, and to try to use the music festival as a way to create a “gate,” where you pay to get in.

What did the event bring to the bicycling community in its first year? The bike race was very successful, and the circuit format was a hit. People here aren’t as interested in the “pointto-point” format that you see in European tours. If you’re standing by the course and riders whiz by you at 45 miles per hour in a point-to-point race, that’s just not that exciting, but if it’s a circuit with 10 laps, you get a chance to see the race 10 times, and that is exciting. That was really well received.

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We wanted the bike race and the music festival to impact as many aspects of the community as we could, so we worked on a lot of different initiatives and wanted to support everything that Bicycle Colorado is working on as well.

Why should other events support Bicycle Colorado? Bicycle Colorado has had a really powerful impact on our community. The reason I personally invest the time that I do in bike-related activities and advocacy is because biking is kind of an equalizer—disadvantaged communities are often bike dense, and you see people of all walks of life riding at the same time. I love to get on my bike with my wife and go to brunch; I like to get on my bike and go to the park with my kids; and I like to do Lookout Mountain and get on my mountain bike. There are so many different things that a bike can do for the health and wellness of a community, and Bicycle Colorado supports that, so supporting Bicycle Colorado makes a lot of sense. Thanks, Race Party Music and Ken, for all your support!

Individual Member LONG-TIME BICYCLISTS GIVE BACK TO COMMUNITY There are countless motivations to get on your bike and ride. For some it’s about getting in shape, for others it’s about exploring or fun, still for others it’s about connecting with a community of like-minded individuals or riding for a specific cause. For Michele and Sam McCandless, longtime Denver residents and 18-year supporters of Bicycle Colorado, it’s all of the above. “When we were first married we had a little bit of extra wedding money, so we bought some Schwinn World Sports. We rode a bit, had fun. After our son was born, I gained as much pregnancy weight as Michele did, and I didn’t lose it of course. I didn’t have a baby!” joked Sam. Their son is 35 now, and both Michele and Sam continue to ride regularly for exercise and as a way to get to work—Michele commutes by bike every day to her job as a social worker at the University of Denver, and Sam a couple days a week to his job as a program manager at Quantum, in the Denver Tech Center. “I just feel better on the days I ride to and from work,” said Sam. “There’s a stress reduction element, and it allows me to do a lot of problem solving.” Michele agrees, though she jokes that she wishes Sam would pay more attention to his surroundings on the bike than his work.

Sam celebrates another successful benefit ride

When they moved in to their current house a few years ago they became a one-car family. Michele uses her two-mile commute to work on her bright orange bike to connect with her neighborhood.

“I sometimes ride on the weekend; I rode 40 miles recently to see our grandchildren, and it’s a great form of exercise when I do it properly,” she said. “But for the most part I love riding around town and looking at the different neighborhoods and at people’s gardens! For me, bicycling is a way to connect with the community and it’s just fun to interact with people.” The McCandlesses have been members of Bicycle Colorado since 1999. According to Sam, becoming a member was an easy decision to make—“we’re cyclists, this is Colorado, why not join?”—but Bicycle Colorado’s work in 2005 to speak out against an arbitrary cap on organized rides really demonstrated the value that Bicycle Colorado provides them as riders. “Bicycle Colorado jumped on that and Dan really went to bat. We were fans already, but after that we were huge fans,” said Sam, also noting Bicycle Colorado’s expansion from working on legislative issues to teaching children and adults how to ride bikes.

Michele gets ready to tour the neighborhood on her New Belgium cruiser

“Bicycle Colorado has legitimacy across all groups and has been broadening its horizons to include everyone,” continued Michele. “Now it’s, ‘we’re not only bicyclists, but we’re also car drivers. We need roads and trails that accommodate all of us.’ It’s not just all about bicycling, but about mutual respect and mutual needs and how we get there collaboratively.” So several years ago, when Michele and Sam sat down to talk about the causes to which they felt they should donate money, Bicycle Colorado was quickly placed atop that list. The McCandlesses knew their philanthropic giving would go to an organization that would have the backs of bicyclists like them around the state. “When we were first married and bought those Schwinn bikes, we basically had the clothes on our backs and those two bikes, nothing else really to our name. We’ve been fortunate in our careers and we’re happy to contribute back to our community and make a difference,” said Michele. “It’s easy for us to be involved in Bicycle Colorado. I don’t know why it would be hard.”

Visit our website! | bicyclecolorado.org

Supporter Profiles were both affordable and user-friendly.

Adams Visual Communications believes in biking Founded in 2015, Adams Visual Communications has supported Bicycle Colorado with high quality video production promoting projects that support our mission. Sam Adams, the company’s founder and owner, has been a supporter of Bicycle Colorado since well before founding Adams Visual Communications. “As a small business owner, I believe it is important to have a philanthropic cause that you support, and I’ve chosen to help those organizations and nonprofits that help get people on bicycles, specifically kids,” said Adams. Adams grew up racing and jumping BMX bikes, and later developed an interest in other forms of bicycling such as road, cross and mountain biking. His investment in bicycle advocacy began while he was studying at Metro State University in Denver. Riding his bike to campus daily spurred his interest in organizations like Bicycle Colorado that support better bicycling. In addition to helping Bicycle Colorado with publicity projects, Adams has also worked with other bicycle advocacy groups such as Trips for Kids Denver, BikeDenver and the Little Bellas, and he worked at Primal, a long-time friend to Bicycle Colorado and the presenting sponsor of the 2017 Colorado Bicycle Summit.

Centura Health supports health equity In July, Bicycle Colorado partnered with Westwood Unidos to launch the community’s bike library and volunteer bike shop. The project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Centura Health, which provided a fleet of new Jamis bicycles for community members to check out on weekends.

Centura Health hopes that the Westwood Unidos bike library will continue to bring joy to the community, and hope to work with Bicycle Colorado on similar projects in the future. “We value our partnership with Bicycle Colorado and the opportunities it’s provided to reach and touch more people in mind, body and spirit,” said Catherine Bader, Centura Health’s SET Clinics executive director.

Haibike comes to Denver, promotes e-bikes, Bicycle Colorado Haibike, a German manufacturer of electric assist bicycles, relocated its U.S. headquarters to southeast Denver earlier this year. Haibike reached out to several states during the decision-making process, but working with Governor Hickenlooper’s office and the Outdoor Recreation Industry Office made Colorado a clear front-runner in the move. Even before the relocation, Haibike was familiar with Bicycle Colorado’s work with access safety and advocacy, and they’ve donated one of their bikes to our Gala Celebration auction and raffle in the last two years. “As an e-bike manufacturer, we strive to promote and educate people about the sport. Bicycle Colorado supports cycling in all its forms: from trail to pavement, from youth to adult, from maintenance to access. Supporting these efforts is the right thing to do,” said Ken Miner, Haibike USA’s Director of Sales. Miner also attended Bicycle Colorado’s 2017 Colorado Bicycle Summit as a member of the event’s plenary panel, which focused on how bikes help people connect with their communities and explore their state. “We look to Bicycle Colorado as a strong industry advocate and as a local partner that can help us increase awareness about e-bikes. Being a part of the summit allowed us to dispel many of the myths that surround e-bikes.”

The library officially opened in August with a ribbon cutting ceremony at Garfield Lake Park. Together, members of Westwood Unidos, Councilman Paul López and Eric Shadle—group director of community health at Centura Health—opened the library in front of a crowd of interested community members. The project arose out of a grant Westwood Unidos received from the Rose Community Foundation to do youth-identified and organized programming. Bicycle Colorado was brought in to the project to train the library volunteers, provide technical assistance with the library— which is housed in a shipping container—and get bikes that

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Ribbon cutting ceremony for the new bike library

Programs Bicycle parking services improve your ride With more and more people riding their bikes in the Denver metro area—whether to school, to work, for errands or for fun—comes greater need for bike parking. That’s why Bicycle Colorado launched our bicycle parking services, or BPS, with Streetscapes, Inc.

Ben Davis of OnSight Public Affairs presents at the Moving People Forward conference

Events connecting people across industry and interest Each year, Bicycle Colorado’s events bring together people from across the state to engage in dialogue related to bicycling and mobility. At our Colorado Bicycle Summit on October 2, attendees took on bicycle advocacy through the lens of “Expanding and Exploring.” With topics related to advocacy, equity, industry, tourism, trails and youth and an exciting slate of speakers, attendees were able to create their own summit experience and maximize their takeaways. “The Colorado Bicycle Summit helps to garner collaborative relationships that benefit not only cyclists, but communities at large, to improve their health, safety, their roads and traffic congestion, and even their economic vitality,” said Monica Kurtz of Wheelie Creative.

Next time you’re out on a walk, ride or even a drive, take a look around at the amount of car parking in relation to the amount of bike parking. Car parking is everywhere. Bike parking? Not so much. Availability of bicycle parking at origins and destinations is a key piece of the puzzle in encouraging and empowering more people to ride their bikes more often. At Bicycle Colorado, we launched BPS to make parking your bike easy, predictable, convenient, secure and, for business or property owners, cheap to install. As more people bike to and from work and school, for errands or for recreation, we want to provide reliable parking. Through our BPS, we provide exterior and interior solutions tailored to varied needs, spaces and budgets. Your initial site visit is free of charge. Our current clients and prospects include condominium associations, commercial and residential use and schools.

Our annual Gala Celebration took place Executive director Dan Grunig with supporters at our Gala Celebration on April 28. With over 350 people in attendance, our fundraiser for better bicycling raised nearly $70,000, allowing Bicycle Colorado to continue our work to make Colorado the best place for people who bike and walk. Bicycle Colorado also added a third event to our event calendar this year—Moving People Forward, a conference dedicated to tackling big ideas surrounding the future of transportation. Our first-ever edition of the conference hosted nearly 250 people dedicated to improving mobility in Colorado—whether that be by bike, bus, rail, foot or even carpooling. If you missed any of this year’s exciting events, make sure to mark your calendars for next year’s! The second edition of Moving People Forward will take place on February 13, 2018 at the Embassy Suites, the Bicycle Colorado Gala is on April 27, 2018 at DaVita, Inc., and our 2018 Colorado Bicycle Summit will take place in the fall. Keep in the loop by going to the events page on our website or sign up for our eNews.

A completed bike parking room at the FirstBank headquarters

If you or anyone you know in the Denver metro area is in need of new or replacement bike parking, please have them contact Ted Heyd at ted@ bicyclecolorado.org or 303-417-1544, Ext. 109.

Visit our website! | bicyclecolorado.org

Bike Law Q+A

BIKE L AW

Q+A

Q: A:

Should I have a camera for my bike? How would I submit video in the event of a crash, and would it help? There was a time when the suggestion of riding around with a handlebar mounted camera would have seemed unrealistically expensive, if not impossible. Today, small, lightweight cameras are commonly used to record various active adventures, including bicycling. As a result, more and more cyclists are routinely riding with cameras on their handlebars and the back of their bikes, especially during the busier commuting hours. In my law practice, I have had two recent occasions where clients have made audio and video recordings of accidents with motor vehicles. To say these videos are difficult to watch is an understatement. The video evidence is excellent, and I would expect it to easily be admitted into evidence if a trial were necessary. Accompanying audio recordings, if they exist, may or may not be admitted as evidence in court proceedings due to evidentiary rules. Depending on who is speaking and what is said, however, the audio could be useful if allowed to be admitted as evidence. There is no question that camera footage can help show exactly what happens in the event of a crash. Of course, bicyclists should take note that that can work both ways. If the video shows unsafe—or even illegal—behavior by the rider, that evidence could likewise be used to as evidence of their wrongdoing. Hopefully that would never be the case, but the potential certainly exists. Finally, please remember that the presence of a camera will not make you safer. Proactive measures such as riding in a safe and predictable manner, using bike lights and wearing high visibility clothing are examples of things you can do to reduce your risk of being involved in a crash. While a camera could ultimately prove to be helpful, the hope is that you’ll never need the extra evidence it could provide. Also, as a quick reminder, Colorado law states that between sunset and sunrise bicyclists are required to use a front-mounted white light visible from 500 feet away, as well as a rear-mounted red reflector that is visible 600 feet away when directly in front of a motor vehicle’s headlamps. Though rear-mounted red lights are not required, they are always a good idea! Brad Tucker is an avid cyclist, vice president of Bicycle Colorado’s board of directors and an attorney in his 26th year of practice with a specialty in bicycle liability and insurance issues. If you have questions concerning legal issues affecting cyclists, you can contact him at brad@colobikelaw.com or 303.694.9300.

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Gifts for every bicyclist in the Bicycle Colorado Store T-SHIRTS

Why I support Bicycle Colorado “ I have been on the advocacy front for bicycle transportation since 1976. At

that time, it was a few un-unified voices and a bicycle network that basically ensured that you couldn’t “get there from here.” Bicycle Colorado has played an instrumental role in unifying voices for alternative transportation, getting our network to be more complete and getting legislation that is favorable to safe bicycle travel. The work being done is more important than ever as it is, or should be, perfectly clear that a transportation system that relies solely on the automobile will no longer work because of space constraints, cost constraints and health and safety concerns. I also support Bicycle Colorado because of the quality of their conferences. These are wonderful opportunities to connect with other advocates and to hear from the leading voices of advocacy in the nation and the state. It is so motivating to know that we are not alone and that some of the brightest minds around are working to make transportation options better.

”

– Gary Harty

“ Can I just say, I had my doubts about Bike School!?! I didn’t think a two-hour

JERSEYS

class could teach my daughter to ride a bike when my husband had been trying for almost two years. All the nervousness and frustration melted away when my daughter saw she was in a class full of her peers. Those kids didn’t know how to ride a bike yet either! It was such a positive environment with amazingly attentive teachers and she learned to ride a bike within 40 minutes. Seriously! She was up and riding with pedals within 40 minutes! I’m so impressed with Bicycle Colorado that I signed up for the next available Adult Class (because I can’t ride yet!!). Next up: family bike rides!

– Cyndy Bruce

”

“ Bicycling plays a major part in our family’s recreation and transportation. My

PINT GLASSES

son and daughter regularly bike to school and we use our bikes for many of our weekend errands and outings. Through biking my children have learned about our neighborhood and community in a way that isn’t as accessible by car: the trail network gives us an opportunity to see nature even in the midst of urban development and riding on protected streets has helped my son learn almost all of the streets in our neighborhood. The hard work of Bicycle Colorado’s staff on increasing infrastructure, advocating for bicycle-friendly policies and helping residents learn about the benefits of cycling is inspiring to me and greatly appreciated by our family. We are excited to see them help the Governor make Colorado the best place to ride in the U.S.!

– Kevin Williams

”

“I

have a real passion for advocacy, education, collaboration and progress. I support Bicycle Colorado because the organization steadfastly advocates for bicyclists in our Colorado legislature and continually develops education and safety programs for people of all ages and abilities. I love that the simple, individual act of riding my bike contributes to a much bigger picture in so many ways. As the face of mobility changes with way we move now and in the future, I feel genuine excitement as Bicycle Colorado leads the way in exploring opportunities for us to move forward together! I feel proud that Coloradans have generously supported Bicycle Colorado’s good works for the last 25 years and we can confidently support their efforts for the next 25 years. Count me in!

”

– Gypsy Garcia

MEMBERSHIPS MAPS SHOP NOW bicyclecolorado.org

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. Please renew, donate and tell a friend about the benefits of becoming a Bicycle Colorado member

Order your Share the Road plates today!

All proceeds benefit Bicycle Colorado Share the Road education activities. More information and online orders at bicyclecolorado.org

Visit our website! | bicyclecolorado.org

Bicycle Colorado 1525 Market Street, Suite 100 Denver, CO 80202-1661

Colorado Park 2 Park Challenge i25 Kia Copper Triangle

Primal Colorado Bike Expo

McKee Classic Bike Tour

12-13

Bike MS: Bighorn Country Classic

Denver CF Cycle for Life

Red Rocks Challenge, Ride to Defeat ALS

15-17

The Denver Post Pedal The Plains

ColoBikeLaw.com Adventure CX Race

Tour de Vineyards

Bikes & Brews

ICON Eyecare Tour of the Moon

Ride 4 Success

Colorado Bicycle Summit

Subaru VeloSwap

10-12

DEATH RIDE Tour and Challenge, Ride to Defeat ALS

SEP

19-20

JUN

201 7

Stonewall Century Ride

5 5

Our conference focusing on the future of Buena Vista Bike Fest 3 transportation in Colorado communities. 4 Subaru Elephant Rock Cycling Festival Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Safe Streets Day at the Capitol 10-17 The Denver Post Ride The Rockies Coldwell Banker Denver Century Ride Gather at the capitol to show your17support for bicycling. 24-25 Bike MS: Colorado’s Ride, powered by Anthem Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Bicycle Colorado Gala

OCT

Moving People Forward

Bicycle Colorado Gala

NOV

MAY

APR

28 Upcoming events!

AUG

Bicycle Colorado Events Calendar

24-30

Mavic Haute Route Rockies

Colorado Bike to Work Day

JUL

Our fundraiser for better bicycling—a party 8-9 Triple Bypass Bicycle Ride you don’t want to miss! 15 Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Friday, April 27, 2018 Climb

Colorado Bicycle Summit22

Kent Eriksen Tour de Steamboat, Presented by Shimano

The eighth-annual summit will take in Outreach Colorado - Eagle River Ride 22place SOS the fall of 2018. Stay tuned for details!

Denver Century Ride, Tour of the Moon, Team Evergreen, and VeloSwap have chosen Bicycle Colorado as their primary beneficiary.

Interested in bicycling events around the Each event state? Check out our Events Calendar at listed supports Bicycle Colorado through our Event Membership program. Thank you 2017 Featured and Champion Events for helping us build a bicycle-friendly Colorado! www.bicyclecolorado.org/events

Events

Explore the full event calendar | bicyclecolorado.org

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