See event summary below
The small but mighty Alternative Transportation Action Team has big ideas for the 2018 year to help our friends and neighbors become more savvy with their transportation choices. Our goal is to help neighbors reduce their personal carbon footprint by increasing their use of alternative forms of transportation such as biking, walking, taking the bus and carpooling.
Learning about existing options is the first step. The team holds events designed to show neighbors “HOW TO” get started. They also help neighbors become aware of the many resources available to us (see Additional Resources section below).
Walking
We live in a neighborhood with just about anything you need within walking distance. To help neighbors get to know what’s available, the Team holds “Walk2Connect” walking tours around the neighborhood. Themed neighborhood walks are a great way to discover things about our neighborhood, and best of all help you meet your neighbors!
Biking
Did you know, in addition to helping you stay in shape, research shows that moderate, daily exercise such as bicycling to work can prevent cognitive decline, sharpen memory and learning, and improve overall brain performance! So, while commuting by bike might not turn you into a Rhodes Scholar, it may make you better at your job.
Sharing the Commute
For many neighbors, commuting by bike or foot is simply not a viable option. The good news is that there are other options! For example, check out Way To Go, and find a car pool going your way.
Our team is looking into finding and promoting Denver resources that can help neighbors find other ways to make the daily commute rather than by their own car – e.g., car pool, van share or RTD. Stay tuned for more soon.
Want to get involved??
We have a lot of great ideas and we can not wait to help Congress Park become the most environmentally friendly neighborhood in Denver.
Want to join us? Please contact Katie: katie.driggins@icloud.com or Becky: rebecca_coughlin@hotmail.com
2018 “Leave Your 4 Wheels Behind: Walk2Connect” Event Summary
On April 14, the team led their first walk: “Leave Your 4 Wheels Behind: A Walk2Connect Tour”. Walk2Connect has multiple walks every week all over the Metro Area. https://www.walk2connect.com Their motto, “Life is Better at 3 MPH” certainly rang true to those of us that walked together on Saturday, April 14. Walks are open to the public and are usually free. Check out the calendar on their website if you want to start seeing how your life transforms when you take it to 3 mph!
The two hour “Leave Your 4 Wheels Behind: A Walk2Connect Tour” gave participants the chance to connect with neighbors that both care about the environment and are willing to look at their own lifestyle to see if they can adopt new earth-friendly transportation behaviors. Participants learned about neighborhood resources available in Congress Park to help you replace driving. Stops on the walk included:
- B-cycle stations – discussed membership, observed a demonstration on how to access a bike, observed all the bike features and discussed the most popular ways people use the B-Cycle bikes as a part of their commuting habits.
- Bus Stops – downloaded the Transit app to demonstrate how to identify where the nearest bus routes are in the neighborhood and to easily locate bus arrival information (most buses are tracked by GPS so the app makes it easy to provide an ETA of bus arrivals for each bus stop).
- Bike Lanes – observed the various dedicated bike lanes and safe biking routes throughout the walk.
Robby Long, Program Manager for Transportation Solutions was on hand to provide up-to-date information about upcoming changes the City of Denver is planning to address traffic congestion and air quality problems Transportation Solutions is a Transportation Management Association (TMA) made up of public and private sector officials and business leaders committed to better managing transportation demand in southeast metro Denver. Visit their website if you want help customizing an alternative transportation solution for your daily commute or regular trips. www.transolutions.org. It is really impressive that they joined us on a Saturday walk to share their expertise and resources with participants.
Last stop on the walk at one of Congress Park’s very own Certifiably Green Denver Business the Chocolate Lab on Colfax just west of Twist and Shout records by the Tattered Cover. In addition to small businesses on Colfax, Colorado Boulevard, and 6th Avenue, we are lucky to have a large number of businesses on 12th Avenue. Next time you think about getting in your car to visit one of the neighborhood businesses — take a pause and consider walking or biking instead. The earth needs us to make eco-conscious decisions on a daily basis! Give it a try! And if you have ideas for what can be done to make it easier for you to make earth-friendly decisions, please be in touch with the Green Team, either through our Facebook page or reach out to us via the web site. We want to be a resource to neighbors.
“I really enjoyed walking the neighborhood and getting tips from neighbors about the Transit phone app that will help me use the bus!” – Barb R.
Additional Resources:
Transportation Alternatives
The map to the left, created by Transportation Solutions, shows many of these options in our own neighborhood. Click on the map to see a larger pdf version for download.
