Organizing for safe, connected, and equitable bicycle infrastructure in Denver
The Denver Bicycle Lobby is a volunteer-driven, grassroots advocacy organization working to make Denver a safer and more accessible city for people who travel outside of a car. Owning a car should not be a requirement for mobility and access.
DBL is fully people powered. We have managed to stay active by combining civic action and social events to build a strong community of passionate volunteers. Along with partner organizations we hope to make a difference.
Organizing for safe, connected, and equitable bicycle infrastructure in Denver.
What We Do
Advocacy
We push for protected bike lanes, traffic-calming infrastructure, and safe crossings across the city. Ultimately encouraging our city administration, council, and Department of Transportation to do better.
Government Engagement
DBLers testify before City Council, attend public meetings, and engage with city agencies to influence city planning decisions that affect Denver's road users — then hold elected officials accountable.
Community
We strive to recognize that advocacy is not sustainable without joy. Sometimes advocacy means finding your people and sharing time together. This often takes the form of social rides and meetups.
2019 Bike To Work Day Meetup
DBL held its very first meetup at the now closed 14er
Brewing taproom on Bike To Work Day 2019. It was the result
of a tweet into the void that got answered by a dozen or so
folks. The start of something good.
2019 Critical Mass Ride
DBL in its infancy organized a critical mass ride to raise
awareness about the need for safer streets in Denver,
drawing hundreds of cyclists and media attention to the cause.
2020
In July of 2019 Alexis Bounds was killed by a driver on
South Marion St. Parkway. A year later advocates gathered for a memorial ride. In large part because of her death the safety
improvements coming to the street were not able to be
defeated by the neighborhood NIMBYs.
2021 Ride and Die-In
Denver Bicycle Lobby organized a "die-in" tribute ride
to honor cyclists killed on Denver streets, bringing the community
together to demand safer roads and accountability from city leadership.
2023
Freedom to Walk and Roll — Denver Bill 23-0015
DBL helped advocate for Denver's "jaywalking" decriminalization bill, passed by City Council on January 30, 2023. The ordinance
amended Chapter 54 of Denver's municipal code to give
pedestrians and cyclists greater freedom of movement and
reduce unnecessary criminalization.
2023 Brown Bike Bus' First Ride
Parents and advocates at Brown International
Academy took inspiration from the growing bike bus movement and started the Brown Bike Bus. Advocates from DBL
and beyond, friends, and parents all helped the inaugural ride get rolling. Several other Denver schools have now followed
suit.
2024
7th Ave Bike Lane NIMBYs lose the fight to rip it out
In the wealthy neighborhood next to Cheesman Park the usual
bikelash brewed over the newly installed 7th Ave Bikeway
project. Neighbors held an impromptu meeting but cyclists showed up to once again demand their safety no be pitted against aesthetics
on a public steet. In the end DOTI held firm, made some adjustments, and in a surprise to
no one the world kept spinning and the bike lane now makes a smooth
connection the 7th Ave corridor to the new South Broadway two-way
protected lane.
2025 Salih Koç Ghost Bike
In July of 2025 Salih Koç, a visiting student studying aerospace engineering, was killed by a driver while riding his bike across 38th Ave from Tejon Street. To help support the family members in Turkey DBL advocates worked to paint and place a ghostbike at one of the corners of the deadly intersection. It was not lost on riders that this corridor was slated for bike lane and intersection improvements, which were defeated by opponents largely in part because they thought their parking was more important.
2026 Alex Pretti Memorial Ride
Alex Pretti was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis in 2026. Pretti was a cyclist and a health care worker. A call to action began with Angry Catfish bike shop in Minneapolis and appeared on bikepacking.com. In Denver supporters like DBL, Z Cycle Shop, Hardt Family Cyclery and many others organized a denver based ride to join other cities around the world in remembering all of the people killed by ICE.
Bike To Work Day Meetup
DBL held its very first meetup at the now closed 14er Brewing taproom on Bike To Work Day 2019. It was the result of a tweet into the void that got answered by a dozen or so folks. The start of something good.
Critical Mass Ride
DBL in its infancy organized a critical mass ride to raise awareness about the need for safer streets in Denver, drawing hundreds of cyclists and media attention to the cause.
In July of 2019 Alexis Bounds was killed by a driver on South Marion St. Parkway. A year later advocates gathered for a memorial ride. In large part because of her death the safety improvements coming to the street were not able to be defeated by the neighborhood NIMBYs.
Ride and Die-In
Denver Bicycle Lobby organized a "die-in" tribute ride to honor cyclists killed on Denver streets, bringing the community together to demand safer roads and accountability from city leadership.
Freedom to Walk and Roll — Denver Bill 23-0015
DBL helped advocate for Denver's "jaywalking" decriminalization bill, passed by City Council on January 30, 2023. The ordinance amended Chapter 54 of Denver's municipal code to give pedestrians and cyclists greater freedom of movement and reduce unnecessary criminalization.
Brown Bike Bus' First Ride
Parents and advocates at Brown International Academy took inspiration from the growing bike bus movement and started the Brown Bike Bus. Advocates from DBL and beyond, friends, and parents all helped the inaugural ride get rolling. Several other Denver schools have now followed suit.
7th Ave Bike Lane NIMBYs lose the fight to rip it out
In the wealthy neighborhood next to Cheesman Park the usual bikelash brewed over the newly installed 7th Ave Bikeway project. Neighbors held an impromptu meeting but cyclists showed up to once again demand their safety no be pitted against aesthetics on a public steet. In the end DOTI held firm, made some adjustments, and in a surprise to no one the world kept spinning and the bike lane now makes a smooth connection the 7th Ave corridor to the new South Broadway two-way protected lane.
Salih Koç Ghost Bike
In July of 2025 Salih Koç, a visiting student studying aerospace engineering, was killed by a driver while riding his bike across 38th Ave from Tejon Street. To help support the family members in Turkey DBL advocates worked to paint and place a ghostbike at one of the corners of the deadly intersection. It was not lost on riders that this corridor was slated for bike lane and intersection improvements, which were defeated by opponents largely in part because they thought their parking was more important.
Alex Pretti Memorial Ride
Alex Pretti was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis in 2026. Pretti was a cyclist and a health care worker. A call to action began with Angry Catfish bike shop in Minneapolis and appeared on bikepacking.com. In Denver supporters like DBL, Z Cycle Shop, Hardt Family Cyclery and many others organized a denver based ride to join other cities around the world in remembering all of the people killed by ICE.
Coallition
We work alongside amd because of other advocacy groups, community organizations, and cycling communities across Denver.
Get Involved
Join us at our next meeting, take action on issues that matter, or follow us on social media to stay informed.
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