Nearly 80% of Denver’s likely voters are big fans of city’s plan to create 125 miles of dedicated bicycle lanes by 2025, according to a new survey this week offered by the Denver Streets Partners.

Nearly two-thirds support increasing lane miles, which already would stretch to Laramie, Wyoming, if they were linear.

Dedicated bike lane support slid to 61% if it could mean removing one driving lane on some roads with multiple lanes.

“Denver’s Mobility Plan to make it safer and easier to get around the city by creating new dedicated bike lanes continues to find strong support from voters all across Denver,” pollster Chris Keating said in a statement.

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Support for adding bike lanes beyond Mayor Michael Hancock’s ambition has grown by 4 percentage points since a January 2020 survey.

Thirty percent of the respondents said they have been riding their bikes more since the pandemic started.

The online poll by Keating Research gauged 585 active voters between Feb. 8 and Feb. 15 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1%.

Limiting automobile traffic on some streets attracted 68% support.

Denver’s shared and open streets program facilitated people visiting parks, walking dogs, jogging, cycling and family activities “in a safe, car-free environment,” according to the Denver Streets Partnership.

KR Research Polls – Denver BikesBy JOEY BUNCH
joey.bunch@coloradopolitics.com

The plan allowed for social distancing by moving them off the sidewalks and into the roads, while asking drivers to share the route safely.

“The last 12 months have posed unimaginable challenges for all of us, and Denver deserves credit for successfully opening more streets for people during the pandemic while maintaining its efforts to improve safety and address sustainability by improving our transportation options,” executive director Jill Locantore said in a statement.

The survey included 82% support from those who identified as White, 72% among Hispanic respondents, and 75% support from African American voters in the city.

“Denver’s efforts to make streets safer for people – whether they’re on a bike, on foot or in a car – are among the most ambitious and successful in the country,” stated Kyle Wagenschutz, vice president of local innovation for PeopleForBikes, a national organization committed to empowering cities to get more people on bikes. “With a record 40 new miles last year, the city doubled its pace of construction and continues to stand out among cities working to make its streets safer and its transportation more sustainable.”