Originally Posted by
bkrownd
I wasn't trying to imply that. I had no particular problem on a bike there. I meant it's a very automobile oriented state and the sprawl, traffic density, tension and competition is very high. Colorado freeways are the fastest and most congested I've ever been on. It doesn't seem like the masses there will embrace bike commuting anytime soon. The good news is if you live in central Denver you can ignore the sprawl and traffic congestion and biking is pretty nice. The bus system used to be pretty good, too.
I agree with you that Colorado freeways are fast and can be congested at times. However, compared to these metro areas I think Denver compares pretty favorably:
* Orlando
* Houston
* Pretty much everything within 20 miles of San Francisco
And these are just the areas I've personally spent time in.
Sounds like its been awhile since you've been in the area. They've put up a couple of new light rail lines in the last few years, and there's a new line stretching from Denver to Longmont via US-36 in the works. I see lots of growth potential for people who get tired of driving their car to and from the light rail station every day.
I know people who bike commute into downtown from Lakewood, Broomfield, and Littleton on a regular basis, so you don't have to be in central Denver to be a successful bike commuter.
Finally, cycocommute has a great point that's relevant to this thread: Denverites are blessed by having two rivers that slice through the heart of the city, making it a no-brainer to add bike paths along the way. I've seen other cities use old rail lines for the same thing, but without something like that constructing dedicated paths costs takes more time and costs much more $$$.