Leave the keys

EAGLE COUNTY — For making the effort to ride or walk to work on Wednesday, residents and visitors alike were rewarded at rest stops in the morning.

Breakfast, coffee and prizes welcomed commuters at rest stations across the valley as part of Colorado Bike to Work Day. About 300 people opted to leave their cars at home and bike or walk to work on Wednesday, said Jared Barnes, planning manager for ECO Trails.

“Bike to Work Day is extremely important to Vail in particular, because we are such an active community,” said Kristen Bertuglia, the town of Vail’s environmental sustainability manager.

The town of Vail currently has goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as miles traveled by vehicles — events such as Bike to Work Day address that on both fronts.

The ECO Trails Committee, together with local bike shops and businesses, helped support the statewide event by providing aid stations across the county. Giveaways included reusable bags, bike bells, water bottles and more.

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“I think it shows to a lot of people how it’s possible to use alternate modes of transportation to get to work,” Barnes said. “Sometimes it takes an event like this to get people the push to give it a try.”

Bryan Olson, manager of Moontime Cyclery in Edwards, participated in Bike to Work Day, as he tries to ride to work as much as he can.

“The bike path comes most of the way here, and it’s just really simple,” Olson said. “More people should do it.”

SOLE POWER

Members of the community can track their mileage and carbon emissions over the course of the summer using the Sole Power Challenge, free to any Eagle County resident.

“June is Colorado Bike Month, so it doesn’t really have to stop,” said Mark Hoblitzell, environmental sustainability coordinator for the town of Vail. “With the Sole Power Challenge, people can participate in green commuting all summer.”

Prizes are awarded throughout the summer for the Sole Power Challenge. Visit http://www.SolePower.org to sign up or for more information.

“The Sole Power Challenge is how we turn Bike to Work Day into bike to work every day,” Bertuglia said.

Reporter Ross Leonhart can be reached at 970-748-2915 and rleonhart@vaildaily.com. Follow him on Instagram at colorado_livin_on_the_hill.