Public policies are the laws, regulations, guidelines, and funding priorities that governments adopt to solve societal problems. Thoughtful public policies enhance safety, health, and economic well-being.
Policies are adopted at all levels of government: federal, state, regional, and local. Bicycle Colorado focuses on advocating for state and regional policies and supporting local advocates and government leaders in adopting local policies.
Bicycle Colorado has adopted Public Policy Principles to help us decide what policies to champion, support, or oppose.
The following public policy areas are our top priority for the legislative session.
Bicycle Colorado's top policy priority is changing the built environment to prioritize safety, especially for people who bike, walk, and roll.
Education is essential to building people's knowledge and skills to navigate the public right-of-way.
Codifying public norms and values into law, consistently enforcing laws, and quickly applying just consequences is a proven way to curb unsafe behaviors on the public right-of-way.
The cost of bikes is a barrier that prevents some people from riding. With the introduction of e-bikes, the bicycle is increasingly used for transportation, benefiting riders and their communities in many ways.
As Colorado grapples with rising greenhouse gas emissions from a motor-vehicle-dependent transportation system, policymakers have prioritized multimodal over mode-specific solutions (i.e., bike-only). Additionally, communities where it is safe to walk and with robust public transportation services are often safer to bike. With this knowledge, Bicycle Colorado will also consider supporting public policies in the following additional areas.
Public transit is a core function of a thriving community. Public transit reduces the number of vehicles on the road and improves air quality, thus benefiting people biking and walking. Bicycle Colorado supports policies that will create public transit systems that are safe, accessible, affordable, reliable, and equitable.
Land use policies can help create a transportation system that is safe for all users, improves air quality, physical, and mental health, supports economic resiliency, and is more equitable. Bicycle Colorado supports land use policies that expand access to safe biking and walking and reduce dependency on vehicles and vehicle miles traveled.
We are dedicated to advancing evidence-based policies and programs that make biking and walking safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable for everyone in the state.
Be a part of the solution for safer biking in Colorado.
Donate today and you’ll be a member, funding impactful bike advocacy, education, and events throughout the state.
You can make a difference by speaking up for safer bicycling in Colorado. Your voice matters.
You can help events thrive, advocate for policies, and create a stronger, more connected bicycling community in Colorado.
