e-mail : Info@BikeJeffco.org

Low Stress Bike Routes

What is “Denver Bike Streets”?

  • The community-created Bike Streets Map features 400+ miles of quiet, neghborhood streets and trails. Used more than 500,000 times.
  • Crowd-sourced maps.
  • Collect and map low-stress bike routes around the city.
  • Tend to be residential streets with less and slower traffic.
  • No infrastructure = No cost to City / County / State
  • Routes are more pleasant.
  • Volunteers were recruited to lead bike rides on these routes.

In the Netherlands and/or Denmark (source?) 80% of funding for bike infrastructure goes to lowstress bike streets and 20% for engineering at the “bad” intersections.
Let’s focus on the 80%.

Avi Stopper (creator) interview on Colorado Matters (2019):

https://www.cpr.org/show-segment/interested-in-biking-more-but-scared-by-busy-streets-theres-a-new-kind-of-map-for-you/

Highly recommend the Bike-Streets Map as a great way for exploring & navigating Denver by bike.

What is the VAMOS Bike Network?

Let’s Go! Achievable in just a few months – No need for expensive engineer and years of waiting.
Multiple examples of Bike Streets have already been adopted:

  • Denver’s growth plans mandate expanded access to low-stress bike routes
  • City created “Shared Streets,” which reduce traffic cutting through neighborhoods and created havens for neighbors, walkers, and people on bikes (during COVID shutdown)
  • Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, which represents Denver’s Registered Neighborhood Organizations, has encouraged the City to adopt the Bike Streets Map
  • Very popular e-bike rebate program demonstrated huge demand for bikes and bike infrastructure
  • We have the tools to do it. Just need the willpower. Let’s build the VAMOS Bike Network now!

  • Paint and plastic poles (bollards)
  • Denver could be best bike city in America in a matter of months.
  • Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) already using these all around City
  • DOTI “bulb-outs“ – slow traffic and shorten the crosswalk for pedestrians
  • Make the streets better for neighbors, walkers, and people on bikes.

Bike Streets in Jefferson County

  • Collect & select routes
  • Routes should link destinations: parks, shopping, libraries, businesses, etc.
  • Comfortable way to ride from point A to B
  • Jeffco routes should interconnect with Denver and adjacent communities.
  • Map Jeffco routes (piggy back on Denver?)
  • Identify gaps: within Jeffco and connections to adjacent communities.
  • Signage would improve route finding.

Contact Peter McNutt (petemcnutt@yahoo.com) for more information.

The figure below is just one example of Bike-Streets routes between Lakewood & Denver.
Upper portion partly follows Denver “Garden” route. Lower portion follows parts of Weir Gulch.
Examples of some gaps circled – challenges to bikes / peds / strollers / disabled, etc.
One third of the population does not drive: young, old, disabled, too costly, elect not to, etc.).

https://www.plotaroute.com/route/2055622?units=miles