Dear Sustainable Eiber Neighbors:

Hi, This is Bill Spriggs here with the second newsletter concerning the Eiber Nieghborhood's Particiaption in the RTD Tour de FasTracks Bike Event.

To those of you who are receiving this for the first time, I have taken the liberty of adding your email address because you are an elected official with the City of Lakewood or from Jonathan Wachtel's email replies within the Eiber Neighborhood. Since he is the City of Lakewood's representative guiding the Sustainable Neighborhood Program; I thought that you would be interested as well. If you wish to unsubscribe, scroll down to the bottom and click on the "SafeUnsubscribe" link, or merely hit the "reply" button on this email and type in "please unsubscribe me."

To those of you who have received my first email, as you may recall, RTD FasTrack's is celebrating the opening of their new bike path that parallels most of the West Rail Line's Route from Denver to Golden by hosting a bike event ride and the Eiber Neighborhood will participate.

The only thing that has changed from those emails is the date has been rolled back to September 15th from the prior week of September 8th due to conflict with another bicycle event in downtown Denver. The start of the event time and location are unchanged.

Below, are items that I know so far, with a few additional items.

The bicycle event will be held Saturday, September 15, 2012. Eiber cyclists will assemble at the Oak Street Station (11,200 West) parking lot and the event will begin at 9:00am. This is considered to be a "casual" and easy ride for beginners and occasional riders, and is suitable for the whole family.   Dress in comfortable clothing as you don't need to look like you've entered in the Tour de France; you can join the event at any light rail station in the Eiber Neighborhood -- Oak St., Garrison St, Lakewood-Wadsworth Station and leave the event at any point. 

There is another ride for advanced and intermediate riders that will begin earlier at the Jefferson-Golden Station, but I have no plans to connect with that group. If interested in that ride, see the email address for Lindsey Smith, RTD representative below to answer any questions.

At this point, I do not know that if you do participate if you are required to sign a waiver for injury, but most likely I will learn more after August 15th, 2012.

At this point, I do not know if there will be any assistance in getting you to the event or about your return. I am assuming at this point that you will need to arrive at the event and return home under your own bicycle power.

At this point, I do know that the cyclist will leave Oak Street in groups of 30 or so, and head south on Oak Street to 13th Ave then head east toward Kipling Street.

There may be one lane closure of Kipling Street at 13th Avenue because of the "difficult" 180 degree turn from 13th Ave, which includes traversing the underpass, and then another 180 turn up over the Kipling Street bridge. If this is the case, then there will be assistance from the Lakewood Police Department in closing one lane of Kipling Street. 

The bike path is "mostly downhill," except for the occasional hill climb here and there and there will be occasional "cross -overs" from the bike path unto City Streets. It is my hope that RTD will provide large, identifiable signage as to the direction one must travel.

At the end of your successful bike event, you will be treated to a festive BBQ at Federal & Decatur hosted by RTD Fastracks.  

The City of Lakewood will be hosting tables at Garrison and Lamar Streets; these will be called "Whistle Stops." I will personally be at the Garrison Street location (most likely at NW corner of 13th Avenue and Garrison St.  RTD will provide one table, two chairs, and one trash can, and will provide trash pickup after all the riders pass. There may be a small tent.

Kids participating in the ride will be given a "passport pamphlet" and as they pass each station; a representative (like me) will "stamp the passport" with the location "visited."

At this time, I have no idea what beverage, food, giveaways or entertainment will be at the Garrison Street table location. If any of you folks reading this email wish to provide any of the above items please contact me via hitting the "reply" button or email me at my personal email address: wspriggs2001@yahoo.com, or call my cell phone, no later than 8:30pm at 303-349-1673.

With questions regarding the earlier event starting in Golden, or other questions from RTD, please contact:

Lindsey Smith
West Rail Line Public Information Coordinator
303-299-2895 (Office)   Lindsey.Smith@RTD-Denver.com  

Also, click on the RTD's Tour de FasTracks Logo below to learn more.

See you out there on your Bike!   

Bill Spriggs
Bike Eiber