RTD Service changes take effect on Sunday, Jan. 6

We want to remind you that this month’s RTD bus service changes take effect on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013. For details, please see the Final January 2013 Service Changes brochure at stations, on buses and trains, or online.

League of American Bicyclists visit Boulder, Colorado

The Pursuit of Diamond Status: Boulder and Davis Say “I Do”

Earlier this month League President, Andy Clark, and I traveled to Boulder, Colo., and Davis, Calif. — but I was transported back to my college years in Germany.

Bicycling along the network of paths and bike lanes in these two Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Communities, I was able to comfortably ride for miles and miles without the need to bike on a high-speed road to meet up with city staff at the town hall, grab some food with local bike advocates at a downtown restaurant or attend an evening function at a museum.

In Davis, I got nearly run over by a large group of junior high school students on bikes, trying to pedal to class in time. In Boulder, we witnessed a frolicking group of young men riding around town in the evening with a boom box on the rack and lights in their wheels. These two Platinum BFCs really seem to have it all — the infrastructure, the bike culture and a compact and mixed land use that allow destinations to be quickly reached by bike.

Can it get any better than this? Well, though a good number of people bike in Davis and Boulder, more than half of the residents in cities like Copenhagen in Denmark or Utrecht in the Netherlands have adopted the bicycle as their main form of transportation. To challenge our own top cycling cities to move beyond Platinum and compete with world-class cycling cities, the League developed a new Diamond-designation. Andy and I traveled to Boulder and Davis to kick off their Diamond challenge. (Next month, we’ll pedal that challenge in the third Platinum city: Portland, Ore.

Boulder received us with overcast skies but heart-felt enthusiasm. We checked out two bright red B-cycle bikes for the duration of our stay and got quite a few miles out of them. We met with local government officials and staff, community and advocacy representatives and were treated to a three-hour tour of the city. The Diamond challenge will require the local government and the community to work together to address any remaining obstacles to cycling to encourage an additional 5 percent of commuters to bike to work or school — for Diamond designation, a 15 percent bicycle mode share among the minimum requirements.

Go Boulder Manager Kathleen Bracke is confident the city is ready to step up: “The City of Boulder/GO Boulder is excited to continue our partnership with the League and the Boulder community to advance bicycling as a way of life and look forward to working together to achieve the new Diamond level Bike Friendly Community designation.”

Mayor Matt Appelbaum agreed: “Recognition by the League energizes us to aim even higher. Boulder is looking forward to celebrating as the first Diamond-level Bicycle Friendly community in the future.”

One of the highlights of our visit in Boulder was a tour of the newly constructed 42-acre Valmont Bike Park, which is a one-of-a-kind natural-surface facility that allows residents and visitors of all ages and abilities to practice their mountain biking, BMX and cyclocross-skills. Our B-cycle bikes were unfortunately not made for this type of facility (though some have tried!), otherwise I would have taken a spin on the inviting singletrack course.

Davis greeted us with a bike light in our hotel room from Davis Bicycles! and two shiny, black city-owned bicycles. Since I arrived a day early, I got the chance to witness the installation of a new bike corral downtown, which featured a prominently displayed QR code that, when scanned with a smart phone app, takes you to the city’s bicycle website. During our stay we got to meet with Mayor Joe Krovoza, council member Brett Lee and city staff. We also caught up with local bicycle advocates, and representatives from the business community, the University of California at Davis and the Capital Corridor Joint Powers Authority. And got a great tour of the city’s bike infrastructure from Davis Bicycles! members and active transportation coordinator David Kemp.

Fortunately our rather packed schedule allowed us to stop by a city council meeting to present the City of Davis with a Silver Bicycle Friendly Business award on our way from the Bicycle Advisory Commission meeting to the holiday festivities of the Davis Bike Club. But hands down the highlight of our visit in Davis was to see the Active 4 Me program in action at a local elementary school that tracks children that walk or bike to school through bar code technology. The system also automatically informs parents that their child has arrived safely at school, addressing a real or perceived parental safety concern.

“The League’s trip to Davis truly complemented a new renaissance of pro-bicycle energy in Davis,” Kemp said. “After meeting with our elected officials, the business community, city staff, UC Davis, and bicycle advocacy groups, Andy and Nicole provided our community the positive charge and constructive feedback we needed to advance our city to the next level: Diamond! Pair this with the new, Beyond Platinum – Bicycle Action Plan and we’ll strategically propel our community, over the next five years, to work together to make Davis a world-class Bicycle Friendly Community.”

The next step for Boulder and Davis toward Diamond status will be a public survey to allow the community to chime in on the comfort and convenience of the bicycle network, perceived safety and other issues that influence people’s daily transportation and recreation choices.

“Given the City of Boulder’s ethic of ‘continuous improvement,’ we appreciate the League’s challenge for communities like Boulder to reach beyond Platinum Level to the new Diamond designation,” said Director of Public Works for Transportation Tracy Winfree. “Diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend; Diamond Designation is.”

Click here to learn more about the Beyond Platinum program.

Join us for lunch tomorrow!

2012 GO Boulder Appreciation Luncheon
Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Thursday, Dec. 6
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Charlotte Houston Room
Boulder County Clerk and Recorder’s Office
1750 33rd St. in Boulder

Join us in sharing our 2012 accomplishments and opportunities for 2013!

• Special guest Andy Clarke from the League of American Bicyclists.
• Official update on US 36 Express Lanes and other construction projects!
• Lunch catered by Spice of Life.

Door Prizes ~  Networking ~  Community

Take the JUMP or HOP or B-cycle (new station at 33rd Street and Fisher Drive)!

City to host Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community award ceremony 
Boulder celebrates current rank; strives to become the nation’s first Diamond-level BFC

With hundreds of miles of bike lanes and a bike-commute rate more than 20 times the national average, Boulder once again achieved Platinum Bicycle Friendly status from the League of American Bicyclists earlier this year. The city was one of only three to earn this honor nationwide. Now Boulder is aiming even higher, meeting with league staff to potentially become the very first Diamond-level Bicycle Friendly Community and the nation’s top cycling city. 

The public is invited to attend a community cycling celebration and award ceremony in honor of Boulder’s recent renewal as a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) on Thursday, Dec. 6, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The celebration will be held at West Flanders Brewing Company at 1125 Pearl St.

League of American Bicyclists President, Andy Clark and League Bicycle Friendly Community Specialist, Nicole Wynands, will present Boulder’s award to city representative and local cycling partners. Appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided, along with a no-host bar. Please RSVP by Monday, Dec. 3.

At 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, city and league representatives (along with local non-profit Community Cycles) will lead a bike tour of Boulder’s bicycling system.  The public is encouraged to join; the ride will depart from the Municipal Building Sister City Plaza (east side of Municipal Building, 1777 Canyon Blvd). Email Marni Ratzel with questions and to RSVP.

During their visit, league representatives will unveil the new ‘Diamond’ BFC challenge.  Working with city staff and the local cycling community, Clarke and Wynands will audit the current bicycling network, plans, and bike-friendly policies and programs to identify what measurements and goals would need to be set over the next five years to move the city toward Diamond status.  

For the first decade, the BFC program ranked communities at the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. But cities like Boulder have made such tremendous progress that the league has raised the bar. Only three cities are currently working toward this new Diamond status, including Boulder.

“The fact that Boulder could be the first Diamond-level Bicycle Friendly Community is an incredible testament to the city’s commitment to bicycling and its unique leadership for the rest of the country,” said League President Andy Clarke. “We are excited and honored to be working with Boulder to take the Bicycle Friendly Community program to new heights!” 

Securing a Diamond designation will involve an individualized challenge tailored to each community. The league will conduct a detailed audit for each city and work with community leaders to create clear five, 10, and 15-year goals for important factors like bicycle mode share, land use, crashes, network connectivity and bike culture. 

Learn more about the Beyond Platinum program at www.bikeleague.org/bfa and about bicycling in Boulder at www.goboulder.net. 

Join us next week!

You are cordially invited to attend the:

2012 GO Boulder Appreciation Luncheon
Looking Back and Looking Ahead 
Thursday, Dec. 6
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Charlotte Houston Room
Clerk and Recorder’s Office
1750 33rd St. in Boulder

Join us in sharing our 2012 accomplishments and opportunities for 2013!

• Special guest Andy Clarke from the League of American Bicyclists.
• Official update on US 36 Express Lanes and other construction projects!
• Lunch catered by Spice of Life.

Door Prizes ~  Networking ~  Community

Please RSVP by Monday, Dec. 3, to orleansel@bouldercolorado.gov.

Take the JUMP or HOP or B-cycle (new station at 33rd Street and Fisher Drive)!

Save the Date!

Looking Back  ~  Looking Ahead

You are cordially invited to the:

2012 Annual GO Boulder Appreciation Luncheon
Thursday, Dec. 6, from 11:30 a.m.to 1 p.m.
Charlotte Houston Room
Boulder County Clerk and Recorders Office
1750 33rd St. - Boulder, CO

• Special guest:Andy Clark from the League of American Bicyclists.
• Official update on US 36 construction and project status, including incentive programs for commuters.
• Lunch will be provided. 

Join us in sharing the many accomplishments of 2012 and opportunities for 2013.

Door Prizes ~  Networking ~  Community

Take the JUMP or HOP or B-cycle!

Please RSVP to orleansel@bouldercolorado.gov.

Today is the last day to take advantage of bike light discounts!

The City of Boulder, Community Cycles, the University of Colorado Boulder and local businesses are teaming up for the fifth annual Lighten Up Boulder safety campaign to encourage the use of bike lights for nighttime riding. 

The campaign offers 10 to 20 percent discounts on select bike light accessories at participating Boulder businesses. http://bit.ly/RLrIwx

The City of Boulder, Community Cycles, the University of Colorado Boulder and local businesses are teaming up for the fifth annual Lighten Up Boulder safety campaign to encourage the use of bike lights for nighttime riding. 

The campaign offers 10 to 20 percent discounts on select bike light accessories at participating Boulder businesses.http://bit.ly/RLrIwx

View real-time bike counts for 13th Street at Walnut Avenue:http://bit.ly/QxOOXx.

This is one of 14 permanent bike count locations that the city uses to monitor bike use and track progress towards the goals of the Transportation Master Plan. For more information, visit www.bouldertmp.net

Boulder East is now Boulder Transportation Connections!

Boulder East is now offering services throughout the City of Boulder, under a new name: Boulder Transportation Connections (BTC)! Through busing, biking, carpooling and telecommuting, BTC is dedicated to helping Boulder employees and residents try alternative methods of transportation besides driving alone as a way to help reduce traffic congestion and resulting pollution. BTC works closely with GO Boulder, RTD and other local transportation organizations to provide programs to employees that reduce travel impacts.

Email Amy to sign-up for our fall survey program. This is a great FREE opportunity to find out how employees are commuting and how to encourage commuting in a variety of modes. BTC is here to help your business develop travel-wise strategies that reduce costs, improve employee moral, and create significant environmental benefits. We’ll provide you with the results for the survey and suggest programs for your employees.This is a free, grant-funded service, so sign-up now! Visit us at www.bouldertc.org for more info on BTC.

Meet GO Boulder’s New Manager - Kathleen Bracke 

Kathleen Bracke’s enthusiasm is palpable. On the job for a little more than a month, GO Boulder’s new manager is eager to provide the leadership necessary to maintain the momentum for our city’s innovative and balanced transportation programs.

“This community is phenomenal. The work that the city does to preserve Boulder’s quality of life and find ways to shift trips from single-occupancy cars is exceptional. Continuing this work and moving it forward is really important to me,” she said.

Kathleen comes to GO Boulder after working almost 18 years for the City of Fort Collins. As the manager of Fort Collins’ Transportation Planning department, she led numerous projects, including the early phases of the $87 million Mason Corridor Bus Rapid Transit project. Kathleen also managed the successful FC Bikes and Safe Routes to School programs, helped plan and develop Fort Collins’ bicycle/pedestrian Mason Trail, and implemented travel improvements to the city’s Downtown River District and North College Corridor.

First Priority: The Transportation Master Plan Update 

One of Kathleen’s first priorities will be providing the leadership for the 2012-2013 update to the Transportation Master Plan (TMP). The TMP is the city’s long-range blueprint for travel and mobility, which aims to create a complete and sustainable transportation system. The last TMP update occurred in 2008. The focus areas for the current update include transportation funding; addressing short-term transportation needs for the opening of Boulder Junction; implementing “complete streets” projects to make city roads safe and convenient for all modes of travel; and creating strategic, long-term transit plans for local and regional travel. 

“There are a lot of programs and projects going on to help GO Boulder offer the transportation choices needed to fulfill the TMP’s goal. They’re all interrelated and work together with other city sustainability initiatives to create that synergy for the community,” Kathleen said.

Connecting With Boulder Businesses

Kathleen believes that working on the TMP update will also provide her with a great opportunity to engage with local businesses.

 “My goal is to work with the business community so that it has a voice in our planning as we go forward,” she said. “I want to understand businesses’ needs and wishes for sustainable travel and how we at GO Boulder can help them achieve those goals.” 

Working Shoulder-to-Shoulder 

In addition to the TMP update, another one of Kathleen’s priorities is to contribute to a collegial atmosphere and work shoulder-to-shoulder with employees across all city departments. 

“We’ll be working very deliberately to reach out across departments such as integrating transportation with land use and climate commitments,” Kathleen said. “The city has a great team of employees with a real depth of understanding of the community and our regional partners. I think that through interdepartmental collaboration, we’re going to continue to accomplish great things for our transportation system and the Boulder community.”

Upsides to Her Fort Collins-to-Boulder Commute

Kathleen lives in Fort Collins and commutes to Boulder, which she claims has a considerable upside.

“I commute by vanpool three or more days of the week, so I understand what it’s like from a commuter perspective. I’ve gained first-hand experience that will help me create a better voice and vision for those traveling regionally,” she said.

Kathleen admits that she loves working in Boulder but misses the daily bike commute of her former job. So on days when she doesn’t commute by vanpool, Kathleen “parks and bikes.” 

“I drive to the edge of Boulder, park my car, and then ride my bike the rest of the way to work. This way I still get my bike fix,” Kathleen explained. “That’s been a really fun thing to do. It helps me get some exercise and explore the community. I get a chance to cycle around Boulder!”

Give Her a Call

Kathleen said she’s looking forward to meeting as many community members as possible and learning about their ideas. With a friendly, calming temperament, she’s very easy to approach. Contact Kathleen at 303-441-4155 or email her at BrackeK@bouldercolorado.gov.

Boulder East is now Boulder Transportation Connections!

Boulder East is now offering services throughout the City of Boulder, under a new name: Boulder Transportation Connections (BTC)!

Through busing, biking, carpooling and telecommuting, BTC is dedicated to helping Boulder employees and residents try other transportation options in addition to driving alone as a way to help reduce traffic congestion and its resulting pollution. BTC works closely with GO Boulder, RTD and other local transportation organizations to provide programs to employees that reduce travel impacts. 

For more information, visit www.bouldertc.org.

environmental-consulting:

Great infographic!