DNCC Security: Sorry, No Bikes at "Greenest Convention in History"

By Jason Kosena

DENVER -- Organizers for the Democratic National Convention and party leaders have touted the official greenness of the upcoming convention in Denver, including everything from bio-diesel buses and recyclable materials to a hybrid-auto fleet and carbon counting.

But in the rush to secure things green -- even setting up a "hybrid-only parking lot" at the Pepsi Center -- it seems one simple and fairly obvious LEED-certified step was overlooked: Installing bike racks.

Indeed, there will be no bikes allowed within the DNC perimeter of the Pepsi Center, nor at Invesco Field, where Barack Obama will deliver his acceptance speech, DNCC organizers confirmed this week.

Repeatedly citing the Secret Service and the Denver Police Department as making all security-related mandates, including not allowing delegates, volunteers and gathered media to park a bike within the convention perimeter, organizers said not accommodating leg-powered transportation is the exception to the rule when talking about the true greenness of the event.

Read the complete article at the Colorado Independent.

Comments

[vipersdad]

It's typical. I will bet they completely forgot about bikes. When someone asked the question they trumped up the "security" concern.... as if there were really a rational reason why someone on a bike would be more dangerous than someone on foot.

It's so damn American - we want to go green, but perish the thought that we would actually change the core of our behavior. We still want to drive, so we go with hybrids... which still burn gas

We want to use bio-diesel busses, as if bio-Diesel were really a solution that would scale to support the entire bus fleet we have today in the US.

What we DON'T DARE do is to ask Democrats to consider pushing a pedal or hoofing it to get places.

Science and technology are not necessarily going to deliver us from this mess folks.....

Unless you are talking about people-powered cars, and bikes.

I think it's a disgrace - put up some bike racks and rectify this situation - the Republicans will make hay with things like this.

[InformedSources]

I guess they don't have to worry about Critical Mass doing a ride anywhere near the convention site. With this mandate, they could just shoot 'em down like clay ducks.

[Merckx]

Duhhh!

[wadenelson1]

It doesn't appear to me that $4 gas has had much impact on people's driving behavior.

Maybe it will have to go to $10 before they start biking, walking, and taking mass trans.

[Bobrobert]

You must have rich friends and live in a rich neighborhood.

The local gas stations have been having a price war to try and get the locals to fill up - everyone is using buses to the big city from a local park and ride - they are even car pooling to the park and ride.

No one I know is going to the beach this year and many folks have become one car families now.

My guess is only us poor folks are meant to save gas.

[meanguy]

gotta save every bit of precious petroleum we can so there'll be plenty for al gore's plane

[meanguy]

"It doesn't appear to me that $4 gas has had much impact on people's driving behavior.

Maybe it will have to go to $10 before they start biking, walking, and taking mass trans."

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from your lip's to O's platform...

[MadOzbo]

Okay, someone please enlighten me.
What type of security issue are bikes?
Terrorist bike bombs?
Terrorists ON bikes with bombs?
Attacks by terrorist bicycles?
Drunken bike riders running down delegates?

I do not understand how riding a bicycle can be considered a security issue.
But then again, I didn't understand the Catering Food Colors mandate, either...