As we embark upon the first week of 2025, we should take a moment to see how far we've come in terms of advocacy and implementing change at the local level on the western slope. It’s been an amazing first year for us. We should take some time to celebrate our accomplishments. The coming year will present some serious challenges and I hope we’re up for the task. Here’s a summary of our successes in 2024.
- We officially established our advocacy group, with a clear mission to promote active transportation in Mesa County.
- We supported the revised “Transportation Engineering Design Standards” (TEDS), which the City Council approved in December 2023. This manual will guide the implementation of Grand Junction’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan.
- We joined forces with the Mesa County Bicycling Alliance and the Bike Night leadership team.
- We set up our GVSA webpage, Facebook page, and Instagram account.
- We supported the first on-the-ground implementation of the Grand Junction Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, with the 4th and 5th Street improvements. This pilot project not only installed the first protected bike lanes in Grand Junction, but it slowed traffic, made travel through the neighborhood safer for all modes of transportation, and provided ample parking along the route.
-We joined forces with fiscal conservatives and others and defeated the proposal to use local taxpayer money to fund the 29 Road/I-70 interchange.
- We supported Colorado's proposed legislation including bills to outlaw the use of handheld cell phones while driving, to improve driver education for teens, and to increase funding for bike infrastructure. All of these bills passed.
- We assisted with the Urban Trails Committee’s bike and pedestrian counts, including “after” counts on 5th street which document a substantial increase (110%) in bicycle travel after the protected bike lanes were installed.
-We proposed locations within the City for the new “3 feet to pass signs”.
-We began researching the canal road access issue and started reaching out to key individuals to work together toward a resolution.
-Several members completed the League of American Bicyclists instructor training.
-We participated in and led several local group rides which will help us build a unified active transportation community.
-We established a strong working relationship with Bicycle Colorado.
- We developed and initiated a Recruitment Strategy to increase GVSA membership.
-We participated in the Western Colorado Transportation Safety Symposium.
-We commented on several surveys related to active transportation, including the City’s 7th Street Active Transportation Study; CDOT’s Active Transportation Plan; Riverfront Trail Alternative Review; and the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community Survey.
We accomplished a lot over the last year, but there is still much to do, and there are serious challenges ahead. Next year, we’ll need to continue to grow our active transportation community and reach out to potential partners and allies. City Council elections are in the spring, and we’ll need to support candidates who agree with our mission. Extreme opposition to any new bicycle infrastructure has become a reality. We’ll need to aggressively counter this opposition with accurate information and collaborative strategies that will benefit all Mesa County residents and visitors. Have a Happy New Year, and keep on rolling and walking!
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