Denver Bike Sharing

• Why Bikes?In 2007, 1.6% of Denver commuters bicycled to work, however 8.5% of commuters had less than 10 minutes in travel time to work, and an additional 14.2% traveled between 10 and 14 minutes to work (U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2007) meaning that many more commuters could choose to ride a bicycle.
• Why Bikes?The Bicycle Commuter Act of 2008 allows for up to $20 in taxfree benefits per month for employees who bicycle to work. More info here.
• Why Bikes?If every worker in Denver replaced two, 2 mile car trips with bicycle trips, every week for a year, then citywide 2.5 million gallons of gasoline would be saved and 23,280 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission equivalents (CO2e) would be avoided.
• Why Bikes?If an individual were to replace 25 miles worth of car trips with bicycle trips weekly for a year, then that individual would save $141 in annual fuel costs, avoid 525 kg CO2e, and potentially lose over 12 pounds in weight through calories burned while riding.
• Why Bikes?If Denver were to reduce per capita car miles driven by 21 miles per week, in a year the city would save nearly 1.5 million barrels of oil while avoiding 264,358 metric tons CO2e.
• Why Bikes?A bicyclist burns 123,238 joules of energy from stored calories to travel one mile (150 pound cyclist traveling at 15 mph). There are 120,797,500 joules of stored energy in one gallon of gasoline. Therefore, a bicyclist achieves the energy efficiency equivalent of about 980 miles per gallon of gasoline.
• Why Bikes?The average number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per person per day in Denver is 25 miles.
  —Environmental Science and Technology, 2008
• Why Denver?Denver's existing system of over 358 miles of bike routes and trails, and 300 days of sunshine make it the perfect city to launch a bike sharing system.
• Why Denver?Denver has the nation's largest park system, with more than 200 parks in the city limits.
• Why Denver?Denver ranked as the fifth fittest city in the nation.
  —Men's Fitness Magazine, 2005
• Why Denver?Denver was honored as one of the Top Green Cities in the United States.
  —The Green Guide 2006
• Why Denver?Denver has the nation's fourth shortest commute time for executives at 35.3 minutes.
  —TheLadders.com, 2005
• Why Denver?Metro Denver ranked in the top ten for business growth in the past five years.
  —infoUSA, 2005
• Why Denver?To supplement the nation's largest multi-modal transportation project, T-REX, completed in November 2006.
• Why Denver?Denver ranked among the top-five cities for "Best Downtown."
  —Men’s Journal’s "50 Best Places to Live," April 2007
• Why Denver?Denver ranked sixth out of the 50 largest metro areas in the nation for being one of the "Cleanest Cities in America."
  —Reader's Digest, 2005
• Why Denver?Denver ranked as the ninth most sustainable city based on making its resources sustainable for future generations to enjoy without passing on a major cost burden.
  —SustainLane.com, 2006
• Why Denver?Colorado currently has the lowest obesity rate in the nation.
  —Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 2006