In response to the tragic death of Sidney Johnson in October of 2011,  a group of concerned citizens have formed an organization focused on safe cycling routes in northern Jefferson County.   Their website can be found here:   www.cyclistshaverights.org

Date/Time: Tuesday September 13  2011 7:00pm – 9:00pm

 Location – Jefferson County Admin Building, Golden. Buffalo Bill Dining Room

Agenda:

• 7:00pm Welcome, introductions, additions/changes to agenda, review August minutes/action items
• 7:10pm  Sheriff’s Blotter – Lt. Jim Lucas
• 7:20pm West Line (formerly known as West Corridor) Bikeway status report – Brenda Tierney, RTD.
• 7:45pm  West Line bikeway connection to Golden – Will Kerns
• 7:55pm  “Save the (Lariat) Loop” presentation – Norton/A.N.Other
• 8:15pm  US ProCycling Challenge Review – All
• 8:30pm – Project updates
  • Genesee/El Rancho link – Kelly
  • Deer Creek Canyon Challenge/Emergency Phones
  • SH93 (Golden – Boulder) Mike
• Any other business
• 8:55pm Action Items
• 9:00pm Close

On August 27th 250 Amateur riders will be invited to race against the clock and each other while they compete to be the King (and Queen) of Lookout Mountain and experience one of the Front Range’s premier climbs. Categories will be broken out depending on age, gender and experience. The following day, you will be able to watch the pros suffer on the same climb, knowing you have already conquered the toughest part of the last stage.

Click here for complete details

When: Tuesday July 12th, 7-9pm
Where: Jefferson County Administration Building, Room: TBD  (See signs on arrival)

Comments from Dave Evans, Bike Jeffco Chair:

Riding my regular 22 mile commute to downtown Denver on Bike to Work day, I counted over 180 participants riding in the reverse direction along the Platte Trail. I lost count of those taking advantage of the refreshment stops en route.

The density of bicycles along some of the narrower sections got me thinking that our current bikeway system is woefully inadequate for any major increase in commuter usage. While downtown access from some directions is good (south and southwest), it is less attractive from others (north and east).

Coincidentally, the most recent report on obesity in the country ranked Colorado with the lowest obesity rate of 19.8% – a figure nobody can be proud of. A comment from one of the authors notes that local government has, in general, done a good job in providing facilities for exercise such as recreational centers and bikeways. It is now up to people to use them.

The two daily workouts of bicycle commuting make it a great way to exercise. Yet less than 1% of commute journeys are made by bicycle in Colorado. If a modest goal of 5% – a figure already surpassed in some European countries – were be set for our State, considerable improvements in infrastructure would be needed. A CDOT survey identified the major reasons why people do not commute by bicycle as safety in traffic and lack of shoulders and off-road bikeways.

The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) has ambitious long term plans for reducing the number of SOV (single occupancy vehicle) commute journeys. Bikeways are in their plans for doing this.

Bikeways are low tech, low cost, low impact and low maintenance in comparison with other alternatives to SOV commuting. As a member of DRCOG Transportation Advisory Committee, I want to propose a long term plan for a comprehensive bikeway system in the Denver metro area.

I will need your help to do this.

Please bring your ideas to the next Bike Jeffco meeting – Tuesday July 12, 7:00pm at the Jeffco Government Center in Golden.

In May I traveled by air with my bike for the first time.    I was meeting a friend to ride L’Etape du California 2011 – the most difficult ride I’ve done yet, but that’s another story.

It all went very smoothly, though there were many logistical details.  I learned a lot and made a mistake or two:   Here are some tips in case you plan to fly with your bike.   (Mistakes in bold)

Continue reading →