Central 70 Team Partners with NETC to Open New Neighborhood Bike Library

DENVER—Northeast Transportation Connections (NETC) announced a partnership with Focus Points Family Resource Center to bring their Bike Library model to Elyria Swansea.

This community resource is one of the transportation demand management (TDM) programs currently being run by NETC to mitigate the effects of construction on the I-70 corridor during the Central 70 Project. The Bike Library is receiving funding from both CDOT and the Regional Transportation District (RTD).

"This Bike Library allows anyone who wants to ride a bike to have access to one," said Angie Rivera-Malpiede, executive director of NETC and vice president of the Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities.

Having pioneered the Bike Library model at the Community Hub in Stapleton, NETC opened a new location at Prodigy Coffeehouse in early 2018. Plans began soon after to replicate this success at Focus Points to serve the Elyria Swansea community as well. The library is one of many programs underway to improve mobility and access in the Elyria Swansea neighborhood in advance of the reconstruction of I-70 East, known as the Central 70 Project.

Focus Points will host the Bike Library, a collection of both adult and kids' bikes. Bike Library members pay $20 per year and are able to check out a bike whenever they need one for up to 48 hours at a time. Each bike comes with a bike lock and a helmet. This model makes bike sharing affordable to low-income communities, unlike other bike share services, which charge by the hour and require a credit card.

The Focus Points Bike Library held a grand opening Tuesday, May 8. The Library is housed in a converted shipping container on the Focus Points property at 2501 E. 48th Ave.

Focus Points Family Resource Center is a non-profit organization committed to serving low-income families in the greater northeast Denver area. During the 2017-18 fiscal year, Focus Points will serve over 1,200 families, most of whom are Spanish-speaking immigrants.

Northeast Transportation Connections serves northeast Denver by reducing the number of single-occupant cars and trucks on the road. Their mission is to decrease pollution, reduce traffic, and help residents live healthy, active lives.

TRANSPORTATION MATTERS – Transportation impacts us every day—it can be as obvious as a pothole, traffic congestion or road closure, or as inconspicuous as transportation's impact on the cost of groceries.