On Bike to Work Day last June, a gallon of gasoline in the Rocky Mountain region cost about $4.03. At the end of May this year, gasoline was around $2.36.
Keri Olmstead of the Denver Regional Council of Governments isn’t impressed. The need to get out of the car and onto a bike is just as vital today as it was in 2008, she says, whether gas costs less or not.
“It’s good for you and good for the environment,” she says. “Between 5 and 6 p.m., there are more than 1 million people on the road in cars in Colorado. That’s a lot of congestion and pollution.”
Last year, an estimated 30,000 cyclists across the Denver metro area apparently agreed, choosing pedal power over gas pedal power to get to work. This June 24, when Bike to Work Day returns, Olmstead is hoping even more people participate.
“The numbers have gone up every year, but they may not be as high this year because of the price of gas.”
Offsetting that, she says, is the sentiment sweeping the nation for alternative transportation. If riders have a good experience on Bike to Work Day, maybe they’ll ride a bike to work or carpool or take light rail on another day as well, she points out. Which is why The Denver Regional Council of Governments and a slew of sponsors are pulling out the stops for this year’s event with prizes, giveaways, breakfast stations and more.
At DU, volunteers will be operating a breakfast station on the green outside Driscoll North, where free Kaladi Brothers coffee and other items will be available for riders who wheel in any time from 6:30 to 9 a.m.
Last year, about 105 DU employees and faculty used alternative transportation to get to campus — biking, busing or walking instead of using a car. There are 2,242 benefitted faculty and staff, according to DU’s human resources department.
Participants can simply pedal in June 24, Olmstead says, but they are encouraged to register ahead of time atwww.drcog.org/btwd2009. The site has a wealth of information, including safe riding tips. Participants can also find a calculator to determine the cost of commuting at www.drcog.org/commutercalculator.cfm. Anyone who would like to volunteer help run the DU breakfast station should send an e-mail todu@transolutions.org.