Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado
Name	Bicycle Colorado
Type	Nonprofit advocacy organization
Founded	1977
Headquarters	Denver, Colorado
Region served	Colorado
Mission	Promote bicycling for transportation, recreation, health, and safety

Bicycle Colorado is a Colorado-based nonprofit advocacy organization focused on promoting bicycling, improving bicyclist safety, and advancing infrastructure and policy that support cycling across the state. Founded in 1977, it engages with municipalities, state agencies, community groups, and national organizations to influence transportation planning, public health initiatives, and outdoor recreation opportunities. The group collaborates with a wide range of partners to support bicycle tourism, commuter cycling, youth programs, and safety education.

History

Bicycle Colorado emerged during the late 1970s bicycle advocacy movement alongside organizations like League of American Bicyclists, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Federal Highway Administration. Early collaborators included Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver Department of Public Works, City and County of Denver, and regional planning agencies such as the Regional Transportation District (Colorado), North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments. Over decades Bicycle Colorado worked with elected officials from Colorado General Assembly, including members of the Colorado House of Representatives and Colorado Senate, as well as executives in the Governor of Colorado's office. It has partnered with nonprofit groups such as Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, Great Parks Curve, and Conservation Colorado on trail and open-space projects. The organization has aligned with national foundations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Surdna Foundation, and The Pew Charitable Trusts to advance active transportation and public health. Bicycle Colorado has engaged with transportation research institutions like National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, and University of Denver on planning, safety, and economic impact studies.

Programs and Initiatives

Bicycle Colorado runs programs addressing commuter networks, safe routes, and route mapping while coordinating with municipal partners such as City of Boulder, City of Fort Collins, City of Colorado Springs, City of Grand Junction, and Town of Vail. Initiatives include route-planning efforts linked to regional trail systems like the High Line Canal, Cherry Creek Trail, South Platte River Trail, Poudre River Trail, and the Colorado River Trail. It supports destination cycling through ties to organizations such as Visit Denver, Colorado Tourism Office, Telluride Tourism Board, Aspen Chamber Resort Association, and Durango Colorado Tourism Office. Bicycle Colorado collaborates with employers and chambers including the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, and the Colorado Restaurant Association to promote bicycle commuting and bike-friendly business certification programs.

Advocacy and Policy

Advocacy work includes lobbying and coalition-building with the Colorado Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organization, Denver Regional Council of Governments, and state legislators in the Colorado General Assembly to influence funding, Complete Streets policies, and multimodal planning. Bicycle Colorado has promoted policy measures aligning with the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and state-level transportation funding mechanisms administered by the Colorado Transportation Commission. It has filed comments and collaborated with the National Complete Streets Coalition, Smart Growth America, TransitCenter, and PeopleForBikes on design guidelines, asset management, and Vision Zero strategies promoted by cities like Minneapolis, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and San Francisco. Advocacy also engages law enforcement and judicial stakeholders including the Colorado State Patrol, district attorneys, and municipal police departments to address enforcement, crash data, and post-crash response.

Education and Safety

Education programs partner with school districts such as Denver Public Schools, Jefferson County Public Schools, Boulder Valley School District, and Poudre School District to implement Safe Routes to School projects funded historically by programs like the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and the Colorado Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program. Bicycle Colorado collaborates with safety organizations including the American Red Cross, National Safety Council, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and local hospitals like UCHealth and SCL Health for public health campaigns. Instructor training and curriculum development have connections with USA Cycling, Specialized Bicycle Components, REI, and community groups such as BikeDenver, Fort Collins Bike Co-op, and Boulder Bicycle Studio to deliver helmet outreach, maintenance clinics, and youth mentoring.

Events and Community Engagement

The organization supports and promotes cycling events and rides alongside groups like Bicycle Touring Congress, Ride the Rockies, Colorado Classic, Cyclo-cross Nationals, Leadville Trail 100, and city-level rides organized by Denver Parks and Recreation and City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. Community engagement includes volunteer-driven trail building with partners such as Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, Trails Conservancy, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and regional land managers like Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and National Park Service. Bicycle Colorado’s outreach spans community health programs with LiveWell Colorado, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Colorado, and local public health departments.

Funding and Organizational Structure

Funding streams include grants from foundations such as Hewlett Foundation, Gates Foundation, and state and federal grants administered through the Colorado Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration. Revenue sources also involve membership dues, corporate sponsorships from bicycle industry companies like Trek Bicycle Corporation, Giant Manufacturing, Specialized Bicycle Components, and retail partners including REI and Performance Bicycle. The organization is structured with a board of directors comprising leaders from nonprofit, business, and civic sectors and staff coordinating regional programs in offices across Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs while engaging volunteers and local advocacy groups statewide. Governance practices are informed by standards from National Council of Nonprofits and accounting guidelines recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.

Category:Cycling in Colorado