Nobody has ever mistaken Ken Salazar, the mild-mannered, 57-year-old Secretary of the Interior, for Mike Tyson. Except, perhaps, Salazar himself. Taken by surprise by a question about one of his agency’s most troubled programs — the scandal-plagued effort to rid the public lands of “excess” wild horses — the flustered…
Add this to the growing list of signs that Denver is becoming more of a bike city: A local developer is now promoting a new apartment building as a bike-themed project. That means free bikes for tenants, bike-themed artwork in the interior, bike storage and even a bike repair room…
It’s been a very rough week for cycling in Denver, with the tragic death of 23-year-old Gelseigh Karl-Cannon on Tuesday — the second bike fatality in the city this year. Denver residents who want to support a good cycling cause will have a chance to do so this weekend at…
In Colorado, a state that will play an important role in today’s presidential election, Barack Obama has battled negative press regarding Abound Solar, a Loveland solar-panel company that went bankrupt this summer despite federal support. It’s become a talking point against the president, but Federico Peña, a top Obama surrogate…
In March, when news broke about layoffs at Abound Solar, a Colorado business with government support, the chief financial officer told us he was aware his company could be used as a political football in the presidential race. In June, Abound went bankrupt and has recently been the source of…
A lot more people are biking in Denver — and a group of local web developers hope to take advantage of this growth with a new website that collects and maps data provided by the city’s cyclists. The site, called OpenBike, catalogs a range of user-generated bike information, including scenic…
For “On a Roll,” our feature on cycling, we connected with many local bike advocates, who have a wide range of perspectives on what officials can do to make Denver a top urban center for biking. Concerns about the rise in bike-car collisions, and the sometimes fatal results, have pushed…
An important piece of the puzzle in Denver’s growth as a bike city — outlined in this week’s feature, “On a Roll” — is the creation of B-cycle, the city’s bike-sharing program, which today boasts thousands of annual users. Here, we take you behind the scenes at B-cycle, with a…
One piece of the puzzle of Denver’s growth as a bike city, explored in-depth in this week’s feature, “On a Roll,” is the city’s initiative to launch a bike-safety campaign. The effort’s been in the works for months, given the rise in collisions between cyclists and cars. Top city officials…
In this week’s feature, “On a Roll,” we explore the rising tensions between cyclists and drivers in Denver. The number of bikes on roads originally built for cars is rising, and so are the number of collisions and conflicts — sometimes with devastating consequences. Do Denver residents know the rules…
Brad Evans, founder of the Denver Cruisers, sent us this photo last night of 1-25 shut down to cars — which didn’t stop him and some cyclists from using the highway. He wrote to us, “Who says we can’t live without interstate transportation? Within 20 minutes this photo had 600…
Don’t be a salmon, don’t be a ninja, stop at red lights and carry a noisy bell. These are some of the messages behind a new bike safety campaign for the weekly Denver Cruiser Ride — one encouraging cyclists to ride with traffic and use lights. As Cruisers founder Brad…
GRID Alternatives, a California-based nonprofit group that works on renewable energy, is launching a national expansion plan to bring solar panels to homes across the country — and its first stop is in the Denver metro area, which has a long and complicated history with alternative energy research…
In this week’s feature, “Sun Burn,” we explore the progress of Golden’s National Renewable Energy Lab, which for decades has been researching alternative energy. A central part of the lab’s current expansion is the construction of the massive Energy Systems Integration Facility, which will be completed next month. Here, we…
In this week’s feature, “Sun Burn,” we take a closer look at what the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden has accomplished over the last 35 years — and how bright its future appears to be as it pushes forward with a massive expansion. For the piece, we spoke with…
In this week’s feature, “Sun Burn,” we go inside the National Renewable Energy Lab — the federal facility in Golden that has for 35 years been dedicated to innovations in energy efficiency. In print, we take an in-depth look at NREL’s important role in solar energy and other industries over…
After a lengthy public hearing where dozens of property owners and merchants in the Five Points area weighed in on the future of the historic neighborhood, the Denver City Council voted to approve a controversial redevelopment plan that deems the area “blighted.” Supporters argue that the plan will lay the…
Tonight, Denver City Council will vote on a plan to redevelop the Welton Corridor — and some property owners in the area fear that if it passes, it will allow the city to seize their homes and businesses. But the Denver Urban Renewal Authority, the entity behind the proposal, argues…
Update below: Paul Ryan is just a regular outdoorsy guy who likes to climb mountains. At least that’s the image Ryan presented in one of his first rallies as the vice presidential candidate for the Republican Party — in a speech last month at Lakewood High School where he mentioned…
Cycling just got a lot easier for students and professors who pedal to the downtown Auraria campus — and for Denver bikers trying to make their way around it. This week, officials unveiled a new bike lane that goes straight through the downtown campus, eliminating what bike advocates call a…
For most of its life, the Gates Rubber plant on South Broadway made tires, hoses, fan belts and other industrial wonders. Since the place closed down nearly twenty years ago, though, its chief product line has been controversy. Prospective developers of the site have battled environmental contamination and the financial…
A river of possibility runs through this city, and we have Joe Shoemaker to thank for that. Decades ago, he looked at the polluted mess that was then the South Platte River and he saw the potential to create an incredible amenity for Denver. From that vision came the Greenway…
