by: Carson Blume

Ride Broomfield, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit community partner with the City and County of Broomfield (CCOB), proposed the idea of an enlightening open house on Bicycling in Broomfield for a simple reason. When listening to the community in person and watching social media posts about bicycle-related issues from individuals and organized groups, I observed a growing need for a better understanding of CCOB's efforts; this is entirely understandable for the average resident busy with daily life and getting informed on everything CCOB is doing to improve to your bicycling riding experience might be daunting, but this is where advocacy is supposed to come in but has failed to do so until now. Unfortunately, this lack of effective advocacy and spreading of uninformed information has led to misplaced frustration towards CCOB by some, and, as a by-product, those residents may begin to feel disenfranchised. I proposed this idea to offer the opportunity for these frustrated residents to get informed and ask their questions directly to the CCOB staff present on the specific concerns I have heard from them.

A sincere thank you to the City & County of Broomfield for considering Ride Broomfield’s request and hosting this first-ever event for bicyclists! Ride Broomfield appreciates our new partnership. Many thanks to the many staff members who were in attendance to answer questions, including Open Space & Trails, Parks, Traffic & Transportation, and Capital Projects!

Thanks to all the attendees for your active participation, last week’s event was a resounding success and overwhelmingly positive. With over 100 of you joining us, your presence created a vibrant atmosphere for dialogue and feedback. Your input and enthusiasm for bicycling were not just noticed but were absolutely crucial to the success of the event.

At the Ride Broomfield table, many of you thanked us for convincing CCOB to put this event on, said that you learned a lot, and were impressed with the City & County’s projects and progress to improve and expand on bicycling in Broomfield. The completion of so many projects that were important to the community since the completion of the Broomfield Bicycle & Pedestrian Assessment, with more currently underway. Some of you had great ideas for future improvements, as well as, questions, comments, and some concerns. For instance, some of you were interested in more bike lanes, others were concerned about bike safety, and a few had questions about the maintenance of existing bike paths and how to get from point A to B safely and had connectivity concerns. These are all valid and important points, and Ride Broomfield is committed to addressing them with the City and County of Broomfield and the public. We are glad that so many attendees were able to connect directly with staff.

We have a long way to go, but we are committed to doing the work with you. Let's get informed, discuss the information, discover the root reasons why progress isn't faster, and develop ways to propel cycling culture in Broomfield forward. Your active participation and feedback are not just crucial; they are the driving force behind the future of bicycling in our community. Ride Broomfield sincerely appreciates the community showing up and your valuable contributions and want to assure you that Ride Broomfield is dedicated to addressing your concerns and improving the bicycling experience in Broomfield.

Unveiled at the Open House was the bikes@broomfield.org email that Ride Broomfield convinced CCOB to create. This email is designed to simplify contacting Broomfield about bike-related issues, making it easier for you to voice your concerns and suggestions. It's a direct line to CCOB, ensuring your feedback is heard and any immediate issues or concerns you have.

More detailed information to come in later posts. Subscribe to Ride Broomfield below to stay up to date!