Why walk to DNC when you can push a bike?
Why walk through the gridlocked streets of Denver when you can … well, push a bike?
To reduce the environmental impact of the Democratic National Convention, the city of Denver hooked up with Humana to get 1,000 bicycles convention-goers can borrow for free – though you do have to give them a credit card, in case you abscond with it.
“They’re free. We just ask people to bring an ID and a credit card,” said Humana spokesman Mitch Lubitz, working at the bike station at 14 and Stout streets. “We want to promote bike riding, people getting well, being healthy, living a better life. Saving on gas, benefiting the environment, those are good things as well.”
I signed up, and rode/walked/pushed to the Pepsi Center, at least within sight of the Pepsi Center. Bikes aren’t allowed within the perimeter, about five blocks away, so I had to find another bike station to get rid of my rental.
But, on the plus side, that’s 8 blocks worth of gas I didn’t use.
As of mid-morning today, 400 people had borrowed bikes, riding a total of 514 miles.
U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D- Colo) speaks during the Colorado delegates breakfast Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Photo by Christian Murdock, The Gazette