As of April 23, Colorado’s 2020 Bike to Work Day will now occur on September 22 instead of the previously scheduled date of June 24. Concerns over coronavirus led the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Denver Regional Council of Governments to this decision.
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“To maintain the health of riders and of our communities, we believe it’s best to delay Bike to Work day due to the current situation,” said Betsy Jacobsen, CDOT’s Bicycle, Pedestrian, & Scenic Byways Section Manager Betsy Jacobsen. “Although this event celebrates physical fitness, social distancing would be more challenging this year if we have additional people traveling in closer proximity to each other on our bike paths and local streets.”
Organizers rescheduled Colorado’s Bike to Work day to September 22 so it will occur simultaneously alongside the League of American Bicyclist’s national event of the same name. Fittingly, September 22 is also the internationally-celebrated Car Free Day.
In spite of this change, June is still Colorado’s declared Bike to Work Month. Fewer people are commuting to work to slow the spread of COVID-19, and advocates of the bicycle are hoping that it will trigger a positive trend towards bikes and away from cars in the long-term.