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Bikes Banned in Black Hawk, Colo.
Despite 11 Bicycle Friendly Communities, including Platinum level Boulder, not all Colorado towns are striving to become bike-friendly. Our member organization Bicycle Colorado alerted us to a bicycle ban in the town of Black Hawk:
Black Hawk’s Board of Aldermen is making it clear that they don’t want bicyclists or bicycle events in town. The Board approved an ordinance banning bicycle riding on almost every street in Black Hawk. This includes the only paved street (Gregory Street-formerly State Highway 279) connecting the Peak to Peak Highway with the Central City Parkway.
Black Hawk police are now issuing a ticket to anyone “caught riding” through town.
This isn’t the first time a bicycling ban has come up in Colorado. We’ll be working with our friends at Bicycle Colorado to challenge this one too, but we need your help! Visit Bicycle Colorado’s to stay abreast of the situation. Colorado residents, cross-state tourists and concerned cyclists can contact Black Hawk leaders at CityClerk@CityofBlackHawk.org or the town council at 303-582-2212. Ask Mayor David D. Spellman and Aldermen Linda Armbright, Paul G. Bennett, Diane Cales, Kathleen Doles, Tom Kerr and Greg Moates to please restore bicycle access to Gregory Street and all Black Hawk streets. Let them know this ban is closing a major cross-state route to bicyclists preventing residents and tourists from biking.
Jeff Peel
State and Local Advocacy Coordinator
Peel joined the League in March 2008 as a Program Specialist for the Bicycle Friendly Communities program. Peel has a BA in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.
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June 10th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
For Real? And Why? Did bikers offend them or damage something. What is it about Black Hawk that says they don’t need bicycles and cyclists? Perhaps we all need to know the reasoning behind this policy so we can address it.
June 11th, 2010 at 10:25 am
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June 11th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Reading the Bicycle Colorado site, sounds like they just did this without any testimony from bicyclists. I’ve heard of anti-bicycling behavior before, but this is somewhat baffling.
Its also one reason why I stressed to the League the need for a national program of legal assistance for cyclists in these situations. The best course of action is obviously to convince the town to repeal the ordinance. The second best is to have a court overturn it. But that means resources need to be mobilized. Good luck up there in CO, guys!
http://labikes.blogspot.com/2010/03/whither-league-of-american-bicyclists.html
June 11th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
I think the League should remove all bicycle friendly designations for any city in the state until this is repealed.
June 11th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Disagree, Paul. These municipal laws reflect only on the bozos in those towns. What we need to do, as has been discussed on the LCI list and elsewhere, is encourage states to pass laws that would prohibit individual jurisdictions from passing these crazy-quilt laws or at minimum, to provide statewide guidelines that would prevent outrageous laws from being passed at the local level.
Cities can of course create travel restrictions on individual roads, such as the car-free zones that have been created in NYC and elsewhere. But to ban cars from an entire town? Unlikely.
Also, while we are on the topic. For those who uncritically clamor for “car free cities”, just remember, the shoe can be on the other foot. And when the shoe is on the other foot, sometimes the pointed end of that shoe ends up in our saddle warming organ. Bottom line is share the road.
June 11th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Individual municipalities passing restrictions on bicycling is not uncommon in the metropolitan NYC area, I know of several. It makes it difficult to know what the “rules” are as you travel about. Unfortunately in some cases we have the boorish behavior of some of our fellow cyclists to blame as the cause. These ordinances are usually a reaction to something that is angering the local voters as opposed to coming out of thin air.
If the road in this case is still a state highway, the local government might not have the right to pass ordinances against bicycles on it. That was the case in one instance in NJ.
June 13th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Are Black Hawk’s officials prepared to deal with the repurcussions of non-conformance with US Dept. of Transportation’s policy statements? http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/bicycle-ped.html
This bike ban prevents bicyclists from traversing, visiting and spending money in this community. It also reduces the quality of life for local residents and encourages a sedentary lifestyle. Are these the effects that this legislation intended to achieve?
Call to action: Consider walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
June 14th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Outrageous.
June 15th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Incredible!
June 16th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
It’s for SAFETY you idiots. Do you want to be hit by a bus?
June 16th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Ted, of course nobody wants to get hit by a bus, whether walking, or riding a bike, or riding a motorcycle, or driving a sedan, or driving an SUV. The bus always wins.
If there’s a problem with out-of-control buses in Black Hawk, then that should be addressed for everybody’s safety.
June 16th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Obviously, BlackHawk should ban anything smaller than a bus from its town.
June 21st, 2010 at 5:32 pm
I just used a form on the Colorado state web site to inform them that as long as this ban exists, I will never visit Colorado.
Maybe instead of trying to talk to the folks who enacted the ban, we can try to create some pressure on them from the state level.
June 21st, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Maybe the officials of Black Hawk could all move down to the Gulf Coast. There, they can enjoy all of the side effects of an auto-centric lifestyle. They can breathe in the tarry scent of their bicycle ban mentality and then dine on some delectably oily shrimp after they fill up their gas guzzling SUV’s.
June 21st, 2010 at 9:11 pm
To my mind a rally at the state capitol is ok, but this stupidity needs stronger protest. What about an (orchestrated) e-mail campaign asking the Aldermen to back up their claim of better safety by statistics? And what about something like a critical mass meeting there, only at that time walking the bikes trough the city?
June 22nd, 2010 at 12:01 am
In California we have section 21 of our Vehicle Code. Its titled uniformity of laws and expressed authority.
In otherwords, you can only make laws and ordinances on topics that you (a local authority) have been given expressed permission to do so – such as create bike facilities, local licensing of bikes etc.
Here is the law……………
Uniformity of Laws & Expressed Authority
21. Except as otherwise expressly provided, the provisions of this code are applicable and uniform throughout the State and in all counties and municipalities therein, and no local authority shall enact or enforce any ordinance on the matters covered by this code unless expressly authorized herein.
Of you folks in Colorado have a similar provision within one of your laws (Vehicle Code, Streets & Highway Code etc.) the town of Black Hawk may not have the authority to close any street to bicycle travel even if its within their city limits and is maintained by them.
Just a thought.
Bike Guy for Central California
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:03 am
Black Hawk is a town full of gambling casinos and nothing else. It appears that the town fathers and the owners of casinso would not be able to dispose of bikes lost in those gambling casinos at a profit so have opted to ban bikes. Cars, motorcycles, and RVs are fine since they can make a profit for the town and the casinos. Avoiding the town would be beneficial for gamblers and others.
June 22nd, 2010 at 10:03 am
Why not hold the next Rally in Black Hawk? I am sure their holding cell is not large enough for all of us.
June 22nd, 2010 at 10:40 am
There are some casinos in town. My guess is that biking “interferes” with tour buses and cars coming in from Denver and surrounding areas.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to call some of the businesses and suggest that the bad publicity about the ban will be bad for business.
Casinos
Riviera:
http://www.rivierablackhawk.com
Isle of Capri & Lady Luck (same parent company)
black-hawk.isleofcapricasinos.com
Ameristar
http://www.ameristar.com/Contact_Us.aspx
Other lodging
After Supper B&B
http://www.aftersupper.com/
Chase Creek Inn
http://www.chasecreekinn.com/
Casa Colorado
http://www.chasecreekinn.com/
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:16 pm
That page has over 1,000 followers of this insulting move by Black Hawk Colorado.
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:17 pm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bicyclists-and-Tourist-Boycott-Black-Hawk-Colorado/100329136684035
June 24th, 2010 at 7:57 am
I received a response to my email to the Isle Casino about the ban. I sent a fairly mild email, explaining that the ban was getting worldwide publicity that could be bad for business, and encouraging the casino to ask the city to overturn the ban if it agreed. Here is the response:
————–
I have received your email and appreciate you taking your time to share your thoughts regarding the bicycle ban in Black Hawk. While we believe this is a City of Black Hawk decision, we welcome all guests to enjoy our gaming, entertainment, restaurants and hotel no matter what mode of transportation they select.
We understand your concerns and have passed this information along to the city leaders of Black Hawk. If you would like to reach out to them directly their website is: http://www.cityofblackhawk.org
Please contact me directly if I can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Kelly Horton
Senior Director of Marketing
Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk
401 Main Street, PO Box 777
Black Hawk, CO 80422
303-998-7714 Office
303-582-3427 Fax
kelly.horton@islecorp.com
June 29th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Ray LaHood issued a directive requiring that bicycles would be provided equal accommodation on the roadway. Any of my money (federal funding) awarded Black Hawk, Colorado for any of their road projects should be returned if I (and other bicyclists) can’t use what we paid for (public roads safe for bicycling).
June 29th, 2010 at 11:53 am
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