Colorado continually ranks as one of the fittest states in the country, so it’s no wonder that we are driving fewer miles than in years past. A report from CoPIRG last year noted that Coloradans had cut their driving miles, per person, by 11.4% since 2005, and the state ranked 14th in the nation for the fewest vehicle miles traveled per person.

Many, it seems, are turning to bicycles instead. And that’s a trend that some want to encourage.

In order to make cycling more appealing in Denver, The Downtown Denver Partnership is looking to build a new bike lane downtown. The lane would follow Arapahoe Street between Broadway and Speer Boulevard, connecting to other bike lanes, as well as the Auraria Campus and the Cherry Creek Trail downtown.

If design funding is secured (the Partnership is hoping all or part of the funding will come from a crowdfunding campaign launched in 2014), the city will then pay for the construction of the lane, which would represent the fourth protected bike lane downtown. A bike lane on 15th Street that opened in May 2014 helped increase bike usage by 40%, according to the Denver Business Journal.

Before launching the project, Downtown Denver Partnership held a forum for bike enthusiasts. According to the Journal, the cyclists cited the following statistics in support of the venture:

• The percentage of Americans ages 16-24 with a driver’s license is the lowest since 1963.
• Around 8,000 downtown Denver employees bike to work each day.
• The number of Denver bike commuters has increased by 42% since 2013.

Want to read more about bicycling in Denver and other sustainable activities? Check out our blog’s “green” section for similar articles.