Colorado has a large population of bicycle enthusiasts, due to its beautiful scenic roadways, active lifestyle, and its climate. Coloradan’s love for bicycles is demonstrated by the popularity of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, the success of the B-cycle program, and the diehard bicyclists who deftly navigate Denver’s snow covered streets that would make any four-wheel driver white knuckled. With an increase in gasoline prices, more and more people are riding bicycles for more than recreation and as a result are coming into contact more with automobiles.

Colorado state law allows a person to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk and in a crosswalk unless prohibited by an official traffic control device or local ordinance. Because Colorado law applicable to the operation of bicycles permits cities and towns to institute their own local ordinances regulating the operation of bicycles, bike laws tend to vary from city to city and town to town across Colorado. That variation shows up mostly in each city’s or town’s regulation of the operation of bicycles on sidewalks and crosswalks. This variation creates unpredictability and confusion for bicyclists and drivers that may result in dangerous situations and serious injury to bicyclists at intersection crosswalks.

Denver Municipal Code prohibits bicyclists from using sidewalks unless it is part of a designated bike route, the bicyclist is engaged in delivering newspapers, or is preparing to dismount and park their bicycle on that block of sidewalk or the rider has just mounted and has not yet crossed a street or alley. Denver Municipal Code, however, does not seem to expressly prohibit a bicyclist from riding through a crosswalk although I’ve read news articles that the Denver Police Department has ticketed bicyclists for riding through crosswalks. It is unclear why Denver Code has not addressed this apparent ambiguity, but it may be because it generally prohibits bikers from riding on sidewalks and therefore if bikers should not ride on sidewalks they should in turn not be in a position to ride through a crosswalk in the first place.

Boulder appears to have the most progressive bike laws in the state. Boulder Revised Code prohibits the riding of bicycles on sidewalks except upon sidewalks designated as paths, or sidewalks in residential or public districts zoned as RR-1, RR-2, RE, RL, RM, RMX, RH-1, RH-2, RH-3, RH-4, RH-5, MH, MU-1, or P, and where prohibited by a traffic control device. Boulder also prohibits bicycles from approaching, entering, or traversing a crosswalk at a speed greater than 8 miles per hour. Boulder has also addressed the ambiguity in Denver’s code, by granting bicyclists the same rights as a pedestrian in a crosswalk, but only if the bicyclists was entitled to use the sidewalk or path, and the approach, entry, and traverse of the crosswalk is made at a speed no greater than a reasonable crossing speed so that other drivers may anticipate the necessity to yield when required.

Golden Municipal Code gives bike riders the same rights and duties as pedestrians when riding on sidewalks and crosswalks, however it also requires that a person riding a bicycle upon and along a sidewalk shall dismount before entering any roadway and, when crossing any such roadway, shall observe all the rules and regulations applicable to pedestrians.

Lakewood and Colorado Springs do not prohibit riding in crosswalks and only prohibit riding bicycles on sidewalks when signs are posted prohibiting the riding of bicycles upon a sidewalk.

Aurora does not appear to have any special local ordinances applicable to bicycles riding on sidewalks or crosswalks.

Fort Collins’s local code mirrors Colorado State law applicable to the operation of a bicycle on sidewalks, pathways, and in crosswalks.

Because city and town ordinances regulating the operation of bicycles vary a cross Colorado, you should always check your local city or town laws. As more and more people are riding bikes on and around roads, bikers and drivers will need to become more aware of each other. Drivers may not always expect bicyclists riding through intersections at crosswalks, especially turning vehicles, so it is important bicyclists operate their bicycle in a reasonable manner at safe speeds, make eye contact with drivers and not assume they have the absolute right to ride through a crosswalk, and if in doubt walk your bike through the crosswalk so you will be sure to be treated as a pedestrian.