Earlier this year, Kaiser Permanente awarded Walk and Wheel grants to 10 city governments and 10 employers along the Front Range to help them plan and implement programs—and in some cases, physical projects—that give people healthy choices in getting where they need to go.

Bicycle Colorado started work helping these governments and employers with their projects by providing technical assistance, ranging from evaluating current policies to teaching flat-tire changing clinics at work sites.

“This is a unique and exciting opportunity to significantly advance active transportation along the Front Range both within and well beyond the two-year grant period,” says Dan Grunig, our executive director. “Our staff and the technical assistance team bring extensive experience working on transportation policy, funding, design and encouragement programs. We’ve been successful in building ongoing partnerships with schools, community groups, transportation groups and health organizations in the past, and that gives us a great deal of knowledge to share with these governments and employers.”

The active transportation movement aims to give people easier and safer ways to walk, bike or take transit by improving regulations and policies, building safer infrastructure and creating programs that encourage people to bike and walk.

Meeting them where they are

We’ve found that communities and worksites are at different points of understanding and readiness to plan and build active transportation programs and facilities. We are tailoring the help we give to each government and employer. Some examples of our work include:

• Doing a baseline assessment of policies, regulations, existing and planned infrastructure, programs and events and community/employee attitudes regarding active transportation.
• Developing action plans that include strategies, timelines and evaluation plans.
• Guiding and empowering these groups to implement the plans now and over the long-term.
• Teaching employees to change flat tires (which is one obstacle to people using bicycles to commute or run errands).
• Giving participants tools to begin bike commuting and participate in walking groups.
• Encouraging participants to track their use of active transportation.

Ted Heyd, our regional policy director, and Jenna Berman, our education director, are the leads on the technical assistance projects. Ted knows government transportation funding inside and out, and Jenna has designed and led many workplace education programs through our Bicycle Commuter Services program.

“Single choice transportation systems have negative effects on our health, our environment and our economy,” Grunig says. “We’re excited to be working collaboratively with these governments and employers to help active transportation evolve into an accepted form of transportation so that people living in Colorado can enjoy the benefits of a more active lifestyle.”

Updates on Walk and Wheel work:

Lone Tree proposes new $100,000 project to create bike lanes on 3 busy roads 7NEWS Denver, November 6, 2014

Pueblo—it’s go time! eNews, August 27, 2014

Ten communities and ten workplaces in Colorado received Walk and Wheel grants from Kaiser Permanente to encourage more citizens and employees to walk and bike. Bicycle Colorado is one group providing technical assistance for these projects. Here’s an update from Pueblo:

In July, representatives from Bicycle Colorado and Fox Tuttle Hernandez Transportation Group spent a day with City of Pueblo staff and advocates to examine current constraints and future opportunities to improve bicycling and walking.

More recently, Ted Heyd and Jenna Berman of Bicycle Colorado and Carlos Hernandez of Fox Tuttle Hernandez returned to Pueblo and met with city staff and a community advocate to identify the location for a two-way cycle track demonstration project through downtown. The project will better connect neighborhoods east of I-25 to downtown via a protected bikeway with bike-specific signals at key intersections.

Walk and Wheel around Colorado eNews, August 6, 2014

Ten communities and ten workplaces in Colorado have received Walk and Wheel grants from Kaiser Permanente to encourage more citizens and employees to walk and bike. Bicycle Colorado is one group providing technical assistance for each of these projects. Here is the first in a series of project updates:

The Pueblo City-County Health Department is working to improve employee health by instituting a bike library for employees and hosting bike commuting classes. They are also pursuing an innovative workplace idea—implementing a mileage reimbursement program for walking and biking to meetings.

Bicycle Colorado is working with the Health Department’s wellness team to come up with strategies to promote their fall walking and biking challenge and will be teaching a commuter education class to all employees on August 18.

Riding Bikes with Margaret Mead blog, July 22, 2014

Lone Tree riding into the future eNews, July 9, 2014

Lone Tree is a city on the move. Recognizing increased demand from residents and employees to get around by foot or bicycle, the city applied for and was the recipient of a Kaiser Permanente Walk and Wheel grant, which helps to design safer, healthier and more accessible transportation options. Lone Tree is one of 11 Colorado communities selected in which Bicycle Colorado provides technical assistance and support.

The city recently hired a transportation consulting firm to complete a bike/pedestrian mobility study. “People want Lone Tree to be a bike- and pedestrian-friendly place to live and work, and this grant will identify ways to improve how bikes and people move throughout our community,” says Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Millet.

Want to get involved? Lone Tree residents and other stakeholders will have opportunities to share their thoughts through outreach at summer concert events. To be notified of project updates and community meetings, send an email request to walkandwheel@cityoflonetree.com.

Helping Pueblo take it to the next level eNews, June 26,2014

As part of the Walk and Wheel work sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, Bicycle Colorado’s Jenna Berman and Ted Heyd recently spent a day in Pueblo meeting with City of Pueblo and CDOT staff as well as local community members.

Inspired by the mission of the Walk and Wheel grant to get more people biking and walking, the day-long event was called “See Bikes and People Everywhere.” After a tour of Pueblo, our staff and Carlos Hernandez of Boulder’s Fox Tuttle Transportation Group provided bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and advocacy expertise to Pueblo stakeholders.

A public meeting that evening became a call to action as Carlos emphasized that the community is on the right track, has great staff in place, and that it’s also important to have informed community advocates to take things to the next level. The local cruisers poured into the meeting after their evening ride just in time to hear the new mantra, “Pueblo…It’s Go Time!” Wade Broadhead, the City of Pueblo planner who organized the visit, said, “It was an amazing day, and I learned so much and was happy to show off our great little community.”