The Downtown Denver Partnership found 8.3% of all commuters bike to work—an improvement that the partnership's senior manager of economic development said could be "the most significant change we've ever seen."
An annual survey of downtown Denver commuters found that 8.3% say they bike to work, up from 6.6% a year ago. "The 2017 spike in bike commuting is “one of the most significant, if not the most significant change that we have seen” since the survey began in 2012, said Emily Brett, Senior Manager of Economic Development for the Partnership," David Sachs reports for Streetsblog Denver.
Why the jump? It's hard to say. The city has added more than four miles of protected bike lanes downtown, which may have had an impact. The survey also saw a strong association between employers offering transit benefits and employees riding bikes and transit to work, but the report doesn't offer a "silver bullet" type explanation.
"These statistics are a good weathervane but it’s important to keep in mind that they don’t necessarily reflect citywide trends," Sachs cautions. Of course, commuting isn't the only reason for bike trips (to some, biking for any kind of transport is a foreign concept). And while boosting downtown bike rates is a noble goal for the health and equity of a city, a bump in downtown biking doesn't necessarily reflect city-wide transport use.
FULL STORY: Bike Commuting Surges 25 Percent in Downtown Denver
Denver Could Add Bike Lanes to Major Streets
City planners say limiting protected bike infrastructure to smaller streets isn’t enough to create a safe, connected bikeway network that reaches all parts of the city.
Less Paint, More Barriers, Make for Better Urban Cycling
New research from the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico sheds light on how to make cities safer for cyclists and other road users and refutes some assumptions about bike safety, such as "safety-in-numbers."
Op-Ed: Downtown Denver's Homogenous Renaissance
There's a lot to like about the resurgence of downtown cores. But as is the case elsewhere, Denver's core has only attracted a small subset of the wider city's population. Most people still call the suburbs home.
Research Links Urban Design and Human Happiness
An emerging field of ‘neuroarchitectural’ research is revealing how building facades and urban design impact the human brain and body.
Reimagining Your Street
How to use free online tools to redesign your local streetscape.
Research: Sprawl Linked to Poverty
Low-income families living in high-sprawl neighborhoods are limited in their access to education, jobs, and other amenities, often trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
Washington Lawmakers Eye Rent Stabilization
Democrats are pushing for a statewide rent stabilization bill that would give renters some protections while offering more flexibility for landlords than blanket rent control policies.
Wildfires Devastate LA Outdoor Education Spaces and Schools
The current Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed schools and outdoor education spaces like Eaton Canyon, displacing families and disrupting vital learning and community resources while highlighting the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
Research Affirms Safety of ‘Idaho Stop’
Allowing cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs does not negatively impact safety and can help people on bikes more effectively navigate roadways.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA)
Ada County Highway District
Charles County Government
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland