Watch out Portland! Denver is trying to take your place as the most bikable city in the United States.
According to The Denver Post, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper is planning on allocating approximately $100 million dollars towards improving bike travel across “Colorful Colorado.” Hickenlooper hopes the added funds will allow Colorado to become the best state for biking in the country.
Also Watch:Â How to Open A Beer With Your Bike.
At the InterBike conference in Las Vegas, Hickenlooper told an audience that “being the best biking state is going to fuel our robust economic growth and tourism industry, move us toward a cleaner environment and advance our goal of being the healthiest state in the nation.” He encouraged everyone in the audience to move in the same direction.
The plan includes connecting both “natural” and paved trails across Colorado.
Hickenlooper even expressed his desire to emulate Denmark’s model, which includes 25% of infrastructure funding being put towards bicycle-based infrastructure.
In the meantime, Colorado Pedals Project, Bicycle Colorado, Department of Natural Resources, Great Outdoors Colorado, and the Outdoor Recreation Industry Office are currently speaking with CDOT and the Office of Economic Development on how best to use the funds to accomplish Hickenlooper’s goal of making Colorado a bicycle friendly state.
The early details of the plan according to the Denver Post
• $10 million over four years to sustain and grow the Safe Routes to Schools program.
• $60 million over four years to develop bike and pedestrian infrastructure, using CDOT funds with money from the federal Transportation Alternatives and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement programs.
• $30 million over four years of GOCO grants for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
