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Coloradans Leave Cars At Home, Bike To Work

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Jun 24, 2009 2:55 pm US/Mountain

Coloradans Leave Cars At Home, Bike To Work

Written by CBS4 Producer Lane Stone

DENVER (CBS4) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 2: Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper joined thousands of other cyclists across Colorado for Bike To Work Day.
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Click to enlarge 2 of 2: Fit 4 Colorado is a statewide educational initiative to improve the health and well-being of Coloradans. Visit the CBS4 Fit 4 Colorado section.

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Thousands of Coloradans left their cars at home Wednesday morning and pedaled to work for Bike to Work Day.

The event, started back in 1956, encourages people to bike to help the environment and stay fit. Even Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper joined in on the fun.

"A lot of people don't realize, we have 850 miles of bike path, almost 900 now in the metro area," said the mayor. "We have enough miles of bike path. There's no excuse."

The Colorado Department of Transportation says the event gets bigger and bigger each year. This year 40,000 to 50,000 cyclists were expected to participate.

"We should have more people commuting to work every year," encouraged Mayor Hickenlooper. "You get thinner. You save money and don't have to buy gas. You keep the air cleaner, not a lot of carbon emission. Ultimately you save money."

Bikers who participated in Denver were treated to breakfast, helmet fittings and lots of give-a-ways at Civic Center Park. Durango, Fort Collins and Steamboat Springs held similar events. Event sponsors say it's a great way to get involved in the community.

Madhava Honey Company has been participating for nine years. Wednesday the company gave away Colorado Honey Sticks, 12 ounce Honey Bears and a grand prize honey gift basket.

"We are a very community oriented company," says John Dunbar, with Madhava Honey Company. "We want to remain a part of this in the years to come."

Mayor Hickenlooper says he plans other ways to encourage people to bike. He hopes to use stimulus money to create more bike lanes in Denver. The "sharrows", or shared lanes, have large bike symbols on them.

"They allow automobile drivers to recognize that even though you're in your car, this is a right-of-way for bikers as well," Mayor Hickenlooper says.

The mayor is also excited about a new bike sharing program coming next year.

"We're starting with 600 bikes next spring. You can go in, swipe a card, borrow a bike, ride around, bring it back to that station or return it to another station," explains Hickenlooper.

"We're already one of the thinnest states in the country. We should be the thinnest state," says Hickenlooper. "The more people we can get on bikes the better off everybody is. They're healthier. They save money and those that are still in our cars can get home faster."

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