We need your help to overturn the State Patrol's decision to ban popular bike rides in Colorado. Please take a minute and follow the steps below. Together we can overturn this decision and improve safety for bike events. Thanks!!If you are a resident of Colorado over age 18, please sign the petition.
BIG BIKE EVENTS BANNED!!
The Colorado State Patrol has just added a policy banning the biggest bicycle events in Colorado!! Their new policy:
* Limits bicycle and triathlon events to 2,500 riders
* The limit can be lowered at any time putting every event at risk
* Bicycle tours, races, charity rides, group rides, and triathlons are affected
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Follow these four steps at: www.BicycleColorado.org/to/petition
1. ADD YOUR NAME: Sign the petition to overturn this damaging policy.
2. GET OUT THE WORD: Please send this email to other bicyclists. We can only win this issue with a huge outcry.
3. USE YOUR VOICE: Send an email/fax/call State Patrol Chief Mark Trostel asking him to reverse this policy and include bicyclists in discussions regarding bike events.
4. STRENGTHEN THE EFFORT: Bicycle Colorado is here to lead this campaign and protect bicyclists' rights but this campaign is going to require long hours and extra resources. We need your financial support to overturn this bike ban.
SAFETY HAS NO LIMITS
The State Patrol says that they are using this ban to “ensure safety.” But a random cap does not address safety of bicyclists. Safety is based on good event planning, educated bicyclists, traffic management plans, safe roads, and law-abiding motorists. A well-run event can be safe for 10,000 bicyclists and a poorly-run event can be unsafe for 100 riders.
The 2,500 cap is subjective and may be changed at any time by the State Patrol. If tomorrow they decide that 500 is a “safer” number, amazing rides are at risk like Elephant Rock, Triple Bypass, Ride the Rockies, MS 150, Iron Horse Classic, Courage Classic, Bicycle Tour of Colorado, Tour de Cure, Mount Evans Hill Climb, and on and on.
Colorado’s largest bicycle event, The Elephant Rock, reports having only one car-bike crash in nineteen years. This fact strongly questions bicyclist safety as the reason for this ban. Is this the bicycle-friendly Colorado you want?
BAD POLICY DECISION
Keep in mind that the State Patrol officers are heroes to bicyclists. They cite unsafe drivers and provide emergency assistance. But this is a bad policy decision which they need to reverse. Bicyclists, event promoters, state bicycle planners, businesses, and event sponsors were excluded from behind-the- scenes meetings on this policy.
TAKE ACTION NOW
We formally asked the State Patrol to reverse their decision and they declined. Now is the time to act. With the holiday season here, we may be strapped by a small outcry because people are too busy to act. Apathy could let this ban stay in place. Take action today and protect your right to bicycle. Together we can end bike bans and build a bicycle- friendly Colorado.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Colorado bike events to be restricted
I just received this action alert from Bicycle Colorado.
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1 comment:
Fritz,
It may help to bring in the state tourism people who can point out how much money these events pump into local economies. I recall seeing that each individual who comes to these events spends between $50 and $100 per day. Multiply that by the number of attendees, and you get some serious money.
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