Mayor Hickenlooper joins members from the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee to kick off Freewheelin, a project that will provide 1,000 free-of-charge bicycles for use by convention visitors. The program will become a permanent bike sharing system, offering bikes equipped with trip computers at bike racks around the city. Participants will be able to check out bikes online or at a solar-powered kiosk, and use the bikes for things such as riding to work, doing errands, or for recreation.

Mayor’s Bicycle Committee

The City and County of Denver has more than 130 Boards and Commissions comprised of individuals who are appointed by the mayor. These members impart their knowledge and experience to help shape the city’s public policies.

One of these is the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, which works with the city to develop engineering standards for bicycle-friendly street and trail designs, and to promote bicycling as an alternative method of transportation.

Denver’s Bicycling Goal

In early 2008, the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee formally adopted a new bicycling goal in support of Greenprint Denver’s Action Agenda and the Mayor’s Climate Action Plan:

• Currently, approximately 1.4 percent of Denver’s population bicycles to work, according to the 2005 U.S. Census American Community Survey. This saves 170,061 pounds of carbon dioxide each day.
• Denver’s goal is to triple bicycle commuting to 4.2 percent by 2012, which will save at least 510,183 pounds of carbon dioxide each day.

The Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and Greenprint Denver staff are partnering with area organizations to promote bicycling as an energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly alternative method of transportation.

In addition to directly contributing toward Greenprint Denver’s goals, the successes gained will lay the groundwork for future sustainable policy development and urban transportation design.

IN-DEPTH:

• Discover the benefits of bicycling and get helpful safety tips.
• Learn more about Denver’s Bicycle Master Plan.
• View the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee member list.
• Purchase Denver bike maps to find paths and trails.