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BikeDenver recently announced that on November 23rd Denver’s City Council approved a bill to amend many sections of the Revised Municipal Code related to bicycling.

The new ordinances took effect on Friday, November 27th and amend City traffic laws related to bicycles to partially conform with a new Colorado state law. The new law allows speed-restricted riding on sidewalks for the limited purpose of parking and eliminates obsolete language associated with licensing.  Councilwoman Carla Madison (pictured right) who championed the effort within the council says: “It’s good policy to have state and city law aligned, and it’ll be nice to see people be able to legally ride to park their bike.” 

BikeDenver Executive Director Piep van Heuven said: “It’s very important that Denver’s laws mirror those recently adopted on the State level that ensure key protections for bicyclists like 3-Feet to Pass.  Synchronizing City code with Colorado’s Bicycle Safety Law will make riding a bike in Denver and operating motor vehicles around bikes in Denver safer for all of us.  We’re also pleased to see City Council so actively involved in the effort to make Denver a safe, convenient and fun place to ride a bike.”

BikeDenver worked for months with stakeholders and councilmembers including to suggest ordinance revisions that would bring Denver in line with State and National standards.  BikeDenver’s van Heuven said: “It was great to see so many interested parties at the table and on the same page.”  Groups and offices involved in the effort included representatives from the Downtown Denver Partnership, the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, Denver City Attorney’s Office, Denver Bike Sharing, Greenprint Denver, Denver Police Department, and the Department of Public Works.

For more of the story, including the specific key changes to Denver’s Bike Ordinances, visit http://www.bikedenver.org/news/denverbikeordinances/.

Mayor Hickenlooper announces bicycle infrastructure improvements, bike lanes planned in 11 new locations!

The Mile High City is making it easy to leave your car behind!

(Wednesday, June 24, Denver Public Works Press Release) Mayor John Hickenlooper today joined Deputy Mayor/Public Works Manager Bill Vidal to announce improvements to Denver’s “bikescape” or bicycle infrastructure. The goal of the upgrades is to create a comfortable, connected and safe environment for bicycling throughout Denver.

Denver Public Works will assess the need of every designated bike route in the City for increased signage, bike lanes or sharrows (pavement markings that identify lanes that are shared by both cars and bicycles) in order to create a connected and easily recognized system for residents to enjoy. To accomplish this task, a change in standard operating procedure will be implemented: when street maintenance is being performed on City streets, bike facility improvements will be made as part of this new programmed and proactive approach to increasing citywide bike markings.

This practice will allow an existing designated bike route identified by signage only to possibly be upgraded by adding a bike lane or sharrow if traffic conditions permit. Traffic volume and road width are factors that must be considered when streets with designated bike routes are assessed for bicycle improvements to ensure safety. Integrating these street assessments into Public Works’ existing work plans complements the current proactive process of routinely refreshing all bicycle oriented pavement markings.

“Our goal is to make Denver as bicycle-friendly as possible and make it easier for cyclists to commute,” said Mayor Hickenlooper said. “Improving our bicycle infrastructure is an essential component in motivating people to leave their automobiles behind and instead ride a bike; it’s an affordable, clean and simple way to get around town.” In addition to this pro-active strategy to improve Denver’s bikescape, Federal Stimulus funds in the amount of $250,000 have been dedicated to provide bicycle mobility enhancements throughout Denver. The funds are allowing new bike lane installations at the following 11 locations:

Mariposa Street - 8th Avenue to Colfax Avenue
Larimer Street - Broadway to Downing Street
Champa Street - 19th to 24th Street
Welton Street – Colfax Avenue to 14th Street
Tremont Street - 16th Street to Broadway
Stout Street - 30th Street to Downing Street
31st Avenue - Downing Street to Race Street
Martin Luther Kind Boulevard - Elizabeth Street to Quebec Street
Yale - Syracuse Way to Quebec Street
22nd Avenue - Park Avenue West to York Street
East 12th Avenue - Clayton Street to Madison Street
Public Works will be applying new sharrows to enhance the above installations, as well as applying new sharrows to provide connectivity to, and with, downtown Denver. The special arrow markings alert cars to use caution and allow cyclists to safely travel in these designated lanes.

“Traveling by bicycle is quickly becoming the preferred form of alternative transportation for Denver residents, and to encourage this trend we are committed to implementing new standards for bike routes throughout the City,” said Vidal. “Ongoing bicycle facility and roadway maintenance is essential to improving the safety and accessibility of roads and shared-use paths to bicyclists”

Released late last year, the Strategic Transportation Plan (STP) provides a proactive approach to addressing Denver’s imminent transportation needs with solutions that are consistent with our City’s goal to be multimodal in our approach to solving our transportation challenges. This commitment to bicycle connectivity is essential to the success of changing transportation behaviors.

Another project that supports the foundation provided in the STP is the joint planning effort between the Denver Public Works and Parks & Recreation departments on the Multimodal Access and Connectivity Plan. This endeavor is scheduled to kick-off this fall and will assess the on-street bike and pedestrian facilities as well as the trail system and the interface between the two systems. One of the central products of this plan will be a prioritized list of implementation projects to support alternative modes of transportation in Denver and aid behavioral changes.

The largest impact we make on the earth through our personal lifestyle decisions is the extent to which we drive an automobile. Bike riding is a smart choice with its synergistic combination of multiple benefits, both to society and to the rider. As Denver strives to advance the quality of life in our City by encouraging safe bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity, we challenge everyone to do the same: by improving bicycle access to your building or event, you can help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution which benefits the environment as well as the health of the community.