New Era Reality knows what an incredible city Denver is. But like all cities, this means congestion, difficult parking, frustrating traffic. But there’s a unique way to get around Denver—bicycles. There are over 500 bicycles at 53 B-stations to be exact.
The Denver B-cycle system was the first large-scale municipal bike sharing system in the United States. And it all started with a pledge in 2007 by Mayor John W. Hickenlooper to make the 2008 Convention “the greenest in the history of mankind”. To date 5,552 rides have been logged in totaling 26,463 miles, burning an estimated 818,899 calories and taking 9.3 metric tons of carbon out of our crisp, blue, Colorado air.
But there’s more to just meeting the whims of a Politian here. It’s fun and there’s something magical about riding around a beautiful city on a bicycle, especially when you don’t have to look or pay for parking. Not only will you save quite a bit of money, but if you live in the downtown area, you could be riding for free.
Here’s how it works. While there are access passes ranging from $8 for 24 hours, $20 for 7 days or $30 for 30 days, you can buy an annual pass for $80.
After you’ve purchased your access pass you are charged a usage fee for each check out. There is no fee if you ride under 30 minutes. After that it’s a $1 fee for 30 to 60 minutes and then a $4 charge for each additional 30 minutes.
The joy of riding to work and not having to pay or look for parking is enough to make it worth your money. But if your ride is less than 30 minutes, and most locations in the Denver metro area are, then you’ve just gotten a free ride…not the bad kind either.
Even though the season for B-cycle closed on December 14th, there are still opportunities to get in on a good deal for a yearly pass before they reopen in March. You can buy a gift certificate for an annual membership for $69. It’s a good idea for a stocking stuffer. This gives a member access to the entire Denver B-cycle network throughout Denver. Plus, the membership gives a member special deals and discounts at participating restaurants and retail outlets.
For more information, call 303.825.3325 or email at info@denverbikesharing.org.
