West Jeffco welcomes cyclists League of American Bicyclists recognizes friendly communities

Cycling is one of the most popular sports in Colorado, and cities and businesses all over the state have been welcoming and encouraging cycling as an alternative mean of transportation for years.

The League of American Bicyclists has recognized many communities and businesses in the state as “bicycle friendly,” including several west Jeffco areas.

The “Bicycle Friendly Community” provides guidance to make communities’ distinct vision for a bikeable community a reality and the “Bicycle Friendly Business” program recognizes employers for their efforts to encourage a more bicycle friendly atmosphere.

Golden earned a Silver level Bicycle Friendly Community designation and the Hottman Law Office received a Gold level Bicycle Friendly Business designation. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) also received a Bronze level in the business category.

“Golden is a very cycling-centric city, especially with events like the Pro Challenge” said Dan Dwyer, founder of the Foothills Running and Cycling Club. “We’ve definitely become a destination spot for a lot of front range cyclists.”

Lakewood earned bronze level recognition in the community category, and Arvada earned silver. Wheat Ridge Cyclery took gold in the business category.

“The application process involved looking at what we’ve done as a city in regards to cycling and what we already have in place,” said Lakewood traffic engineering manager John Padon. “It’s not just a city effort –; the cycling community is active in Lakewood and we have groups like West Metro Fire hosting a biking rodeo, RTD showing the proper way to cross light rail tracks and the Lakewood Police has cycle agents.”

Padon said the League of American Bicyclists focuses on the “5 E’s” when examining communities and businesses. The 5 E’s are: Engineering –; creating safe and convenient places to ride and park; Education –; giving people of all ages and abilities the skills and confidence to ride; Encouragement –; creating a strong bike culture that welcomes and celebrates bicycling; Enforcement –; ensuring safe roads for all users; and Evaluation and Planning –; planning for bicycling as a safe and viable transportation option.

According to information provided by the league, Colorado now has 20 Bicycle Friendly Communities, 51 Bicycle Friendly Businesses and 4 Bicycle Friendly Universities. The state is ranked No. 6 in the country.

Both Dwyer and Padon said they have seen biking become a larger part of their communities, and that is in large part thanks to cities making a greater effort to make the communities safe to travel. Many cities –; like Golden and Lakewood –; have bicycle master plans they are working on implementing.

“The community is really working together on this,” Padon said. “It’s all about mobility and health.”

“Bicycling continues to get bigger, and cycling is quickly becoming a legacy of Golden,” Dwyer added. “Just go sit on Washington Avenue year round and watch how many people ride by.”

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