How to Commute to Work or School by Bike

If you’re like me, you would love to ride your bike to work or to the grocery store, but Denver’s traffic is so bananas that you’re worried about safety. My office is only a couple of miles from my house, but there are some very busy streets between the two, and, well, as a Denver injury attorney, I’ve seen some scary stuff.

I am what Bicycle Colorado calls a “curious-but-concerned” wannabe bike commuter. I’d love to learn more, but I’m a bit too worried to bite the bullet and just do it.

Well, it appears I’m not alone because Bicycle Colorado has two fantastic programs for people just like me. They are called the “Active Bike Corridors” program and the “Bike Navigator” program. Both of these initiatives aim to introduce curious-but-concerned riders to high-comfort bike routes and to teach safe riding behavior.

Active Bike Corridors

The Active Bike Corridor (ABC) program provides maps for seven safe biking routes throughout the Denver metro area. They include routes from the following neighborhoods. Each of the routes ends at Denver’s Skyline Park.

1. Berkeley: One-way mileage: 5.3 miles. Estimated time: 25-30 minutes.
2. Lowry: One-way mileage: 7.4 miles. Estimated time: 30-35 minutes.
3. Park Hill: One-way mileage: 5.7 miles. Estimated time: 25-30 minutes.
4. Central Park: One-way mileage: 5.9 miles. Estimated time: 25-30 minutes.
5. Washington Park: One-way mileage: 6.4 miles. Estimated time: 25-30 minutes.
6. West Colfax: One-way mileage: 6.4 miles. Estimated time: 25-30 minutes.
7. Westwood: One-way mileage: 5.9 miles. Estimated time: 25-30 minutes.

On the landing page for each route, you will find a map and detailed instructions. For example, this is the Lowry Active Bike Corridor:

Start: Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, 7711 E Academy Blvd, Denver, CO 80230

Turn right onto E Academy Blvd
Turn left onto E 1st Ave
Continue straight onto Krameria St
Turn left onto E Severn Pl
Turn left onto Dahlia St
Turn right onto E 7th Ave and follow onto/E 7th Ave Pkwy
Turn right onto N Williams St heading north in Cheesman Park
Turn left onto E 12th Ave
Turn right onto Bannock St
Turn right toward W Colfax Ave through Civic Center Park
Turn left onto 15th St
Turn right onto Arapahoe St and walk your bicycle.

Destination: Skyline Park, 1600 Arapahoe St Denver

Let me know if you try one of the routes and send me a picture from Skyline Park!

Navigator Program

Bicycle Colorado’s Navigator Program is just amazing because it pairs a seasoned rider with a curious-but-concerned rider for a free, one-on-one ride anywhere within a 5-mile radius of downtown Denver! So, for example, if you live in the Highlands and want to figure out a safe route to your office or your best friend’s loft in downtown Denver, just make an appointment with a Navigator.

The program’s volunteer Navigators aren’t the amped-up bike snobs you may see speeding down Cherry Creek trail in their racing shorts on Saturday morning. These are comfy folks who try to commute on their bikes as much as possible and so they’ve mastered a few routes and safety tricks. They volunteer because they love biking, and they want to get more Denver residents out of their cars and onto bikes.

I would love to see more people out on bikes this summer! Let me know if you try either of these Bicycle Colorado programs.