E- bike use and improved safety measures are crucial

Re: “E- bike rebates are a nice idea. But the real issue is Denver’s streets are not bike safe.” July 17 commentary

I strongly disagree. The e- bike rebate is getting more people on bikes and that’s terrific.

More bikes on the streets equals heightened awareness of cyclists, inherently making the road safer for everyone.

Yes, we need better infrastructure. I believe that will happen more quickly as more people ride bikes and become advocates for better street design.

Gerald Horner, Denver

Denver’s e- bike rebate program is a resounding success, supporting residents in exploring new ways to travel amid high gas prices and concern for the climate. E- bikes are a game- changer, allowing people to go longer distances, replace car trips, and carry items such as groceries with greater ease and zero emissions.

Excitement around the program is palpable, with one of the nearly 1,000 new e- bike owners proclaiming on Twitter that they “completed their first nogas grocery run.”

Data tracking the use of Lyft and Lime’s e- bikes in Denver shows nearly 400,000 trips since 2018, totaling more than 600,000 miles. E- bikes are expanding mobility options while supporting efforts to reduce emissions.

More bikes and safer roads go hand- inhand. The city is steadfast in its commitment to building a safe, accessible bike network that connects people to the places they want to go and that is rooted in equity, sustainability, health and congestion mitigation.

While the network buildout is ongoing, the hundreds of miles already in place are not only an attractive alternative to driving but a critical means of transportation.

The city is working to facilitate a mode shift that includes an infrastructure buildout that reduces conflicts between people on bikes and in cars and encourages behavior change with the rebate program.

Improving safety and achieving the city’s vision of zero traffic fatalities cannot be accomplished by infrastructure alone; we need the public’s help and drivers to slow down, drive sober, and watch for people traveling on foot and on wheels, including wheelchairs.

Adam Phipps and Grace Rink

Editor’s note: Phipps is executive director of Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. Rink is executive director of the city’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency.

Your article about bicycle accidents was very timely, considering our state legislature passed a new bill stating it is legal for bicycles to treat stop signs like yield signs and to proceed through a red light after slowing to check traffic.

While encouraging bicycles for primary transportation as well as leisure, making it legal to run stop signs and red lights increases the chances of being struck by a vehicle. Not only that, it makes it a dangerous situation for an automobile driver to turn safely.

Not sure what the legislators and governor were thinking on this one, but they have upped the risk factor exponentially.

Liz Wolfson, Denver