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Feed them and they will come…
Oct 19th
Residents encouraged to secure trash and food sources to protect bears
With bears foraging for food in preparation for their winter hibernation, it is important that residents take measures to deter bears by securing any potential food sources on their properties. See the Inside Boulder News segment about recent bear activity.
Bear-proofing food items and trash is the best way for residents to minimize the chance that bears will show interest in their property. Common bear attractants include garbage, compost, fruit from trees, bird feeders, food from outdoor grills and pet food left outside.
City regulations require that curbside garbage/compost bins not be placed out for pick up until 5 a.m. the day collection occurs. Alleyway bins are exempt from these regulations.
To be safe, the city recommends that residents west of Broadway store all garbage and compost bins in a garage or shed until the morning of collection, or keep their waste in a bear-resistant trash container. Residents within Boulder city limits can contact their trash hauler for specific information about bear-resistant trash containers.
Bears that learn that people are a source of food are sometimes killed to keep the public safe. During the past six years, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has killed five bears in Boulder because of nuisance behavior or a threat to public safety. Please do your part to ensure that bears are not unnecessarily attracted to your property.
If there is a bear in your backyard, the following tips are recommended:
- Keep your distance. Back away slowly from the bear, ensuring it has a clear escape path;
- Never run. Running may cause a bear to chase you;
- Never approach a bear, or get in between a cub and its mother;
- Never provide food to a bear. This teaches it to approach people for food;
- Do not let the bear become comfortable around your home; and
- Once you are safely inside, do your best to scare the bear away. Yell, clap your hands and make other loud noises to encourage the bear to leave.
If the bear is observed within the city limits, call the Boulder Police Department at 303-441-3333. To report past bear sightings and encounters, call 303-441-3004.
The city is currently conducting an Urban Black Bear Education and Enforcement Pilot Program in partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. For more information about the pilot program, contact Urban Wildlife Conservation Coordinator Val Matheson at 303-441-3004 or visit www.boulderwildlifeplan.net.
For a detailed discussion about bears in the urban/foothill interface, watch the “Bears in Boulder” segment of A Boulder View.
To learn more about bears, visit www.osmp.org or the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) website at: wildlife.state.co.us/bears.
Boulder renewed as a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists
Oct 19th
Across the U.S., bicycling is on the rise – thanks in part to communities like Boulder taking steps to make riding easy, accessible and safe. Today, the League of American Bicyclists (LoAB) announced the latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) and renewed Boulder’s standing as a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community. The Platinum award recognizes Boulder’s continued commitment to improving conditions for bicycling through investments in education, infrastructure, policies and promotion.
“We are excited that Boulder recognizes that simple steps to make biking safe and comfortable pay huge dividends in civic, community and economic development,” said League President Andy Clarke. “Bicycling is more than a practical, cost-effective solution to many community challenges – it’s a way to make Boulder a place where people don’t just live and work, but thrive.”
The BFC program is revolutionizing the way communities evaluate quality of life, sustainability and transportation networks by allowing them to measure their progress toward improving bicycle-friendliness. The free program provides a roadmap for building a Bicycle Friendly Community and the application process itself has become a rigorous educational tool.
In September, the league announced the “Diamond” level designation to raise the bar for communities like Boulder to move beyond Platinum. The LoAB will visit Boulder in December to conduct an audit and work with the local cycling community on creating clear goals to achieve Diamond status. The primary measure of Diamond designation is the number of people riding and community satisfaction. The five levels of the award – diamond, platinum, gold, silver and bronze – provide a clear incentive for communities to continuously improve.
“Boulder’s Platinum designation renewal recognizes many years of sustained effort by the community, city staff and local policy makers,” said Director of Public Works for Transportation Tracy Winfree. “It is a great accomplishment and celebrates the community’s commitment to bicycle friendliness. Given the City of Boulder’s ethic of ‘continuous improvement,’ we appreciate the league’s challenge for communities like Boulder to reach beyond Platinum to the new Diamond designation.”
Since the BFC program’s inception, more than 500 communities have applied and there are now 242 Bicycle Friendly Communities in 47 states across America. To learn more about the Bicycle Friendly Communities, visit www.bikeleague.org/community.
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Bike race rakes in big bucks for Colorado
Oct 19th
Attendance Numbers Surpass 1 Million for the Second Annual USA Pro Challenge Professional Cycling Race
Race Brings an Estimated $99.6 Million in Economic Impact to the State of Colorado
Denver (Oct. 18, 2012) – The 2012 USA Pro Challenge, the toughest professional cycling race in the U.S., reached attendance numbers of more than 1 million over the course of seven days, Aug. 20-26, as fans turned out to watch the action-packed, heart-pounding racing. After traveling to 12 towns for the official stage starts and finishes, and passing through many other notable cities along the way, the estimated economic impact of the race to the State of Colorado is $99.6 million, according to a study done by IFM North America, a global sports research firm.
With a lead change nearly every day, one of the closest professional races in U.S. history came down to the final moments of the Individual Time Trial in Denver, with American Christian Vande Velde of Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda taking home the overall win. The race received unprecedented coverage highlighting the beautiful terrain of the state that totaled 31 hours on NBC and NBC Sports Network in the U.S. and was broadcast internationally to 175 countries and territories around the world.
“The crowds at the 2012 USA Pro Challenge were unlike anything I’ve ever seen outside of the big races in Europe,” said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the Pro Challenge. “Driving the course every day and seeing the enthusiasm and passion from the fans lining the streets really gave a sense of the growing support for the sport of cycling in the U.S. This race showcases Colorado and provides an incredible economic impact that will hopefully be here for years to come.”
Direct spending by traveling spectators brought a significant portion of the economic impact. Both those fans from outside the state and Coloradans traveling 50 miles or more to take in an event stage contributed $81.5 million on lodging, food, transportation and entertainment. The remaining economic impact comes in the form of team, staff, sponsor and vendor spending, employment created by the event, and the resulting tax effects of the race.
The 2012 race attracted spectators from at least 25 states across the country, with the top five after Colorado being Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona and California. It also proved an exceptional following among Colorado residents, one of the significant contributing factors to the level of enthusiasm displayed by spectators along the entire 683-mile course.
“The enthusiasm we saw from the fans at this year’s USA Pro Challenge was unprecedented,” said Steve Johnson, president and CEO of USA Cycling, the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. “One of our main goals is to grow competitive cycling in America and the USA Pro Challenge is doing just that. From the level of competition, to the huge crowds of fans lining the streets, to the overall organization, this race is exactly what we need in professional cycling.”
A draw for Colorado travel, 53 percent of spectators claimed they would not have traveled to Colorado at this time if it were not for the race. And with that, 75.8 percent stated they were very likely or likely to return to watch the race next year.
“The USA Pro Challenge is a huge community event that just continues to grow,” said Major Mark Savage of the Colorado State Patrol. “We are out there on the street with the fans ensuring a safe and fun event, and the respectful enthusiasm that continues to be displayed is amazing.”
Additional interesting analysis points include:
• Spectators traveled in groups, with the average party consisting of three people.
• While the median household income of Colorado residents is $56,456, race spectators averaged a household income of $110,000.
• Spectators were satisfied with almost all parts of the race and the experience, with more than 86 percent saying they were very satisfied or satisfied with the race.
• More than half of spectators in attendance reported they ride a bike for fitness, while roughly 21.9 percent responded they ride a bike occasionally or not at all.
• This was an audience that appreciates the world class level of competition at the USA Pro Challenge and watches major cycling events on television, with 93.4 percent stating they watch part of the Tour de France.
• The race drew spectators for various reasons with 64 percent wanting to witness the elite level of competition, 45 percent interested in the destination cities and 46 percent wanting to experience the start/finish festivals.
• Spectators’ experiences with the USA Pro Challenge positively influenced their view of the State of Colorado, with 75 percent of out-of-state visitors stating they are more likely or much more likely to visit Colorado again based on their experience at the USA Pro Challenge.
About the research study:
The USA Pro Challenge commissioned IFM North America, a global sports research firm with more than 20 years of experience working with events around the world, to conduct a quantitative research study to measure the attendance and overall economic impact of the race.
“We conduct these types of studies on events around the world throughout the year,” said David Porthouse, vice president of IFM North America. “Working with our local partners and stakeholders, we implement best practices as we develop the data and models used to accurately and fairly evaluate the success of their events.”
IFM designed the study from the outset to address many of the contentious issues surrounding economic impact assessments. Key areas addressed included:
• Substitution effects – Since local fans will often spend similar amounts on local sports and other entertainment, IFM did not include the local fan spend in the economic impact report.
• Time shifting – Colorado is an attractive destination for travel, so IFM deliberately filtered respondents to ensure they were not capturing data from spectators already in Colorado, independent of the Pro Challenge, and also used elimination questions to remove those fans who intended to come to Colorado in the near future independent of the race
• Sample sizes – Large samples were taken at all stages, distributed across the race locations.
About the USA Pro Challenge
For seven consecutive days, the world’s top athletes raced through the majestic Colorado Rockies, reaching higher altitudes than they’ve ever had to endure as they ascended over three mountain passes, each exceeding 12,000 ft. in elevation. After attracting more than 1 million spectators in 2011, making it one of the largest cycling events in U.S. history, the USA Pro Challenge returned for a second year in 2012. Featuring a challenging, 683-mile course with more than 42,000 ft. of vertical climbing, the race highlighted the best of the best in professional cycling and some of America’s most beautiful scenery.
Referred to as “America’s Race,” the USA Pro Challenge took place August 20-26, 2012, a week proclaimed by Governor John Hickenlooper as “Colorado Cycling Holiday,” and traveled through 12 host cities from Durango to Denver. More information can be found online at www.ProChallenge.comand on Twitter at @USAProChallenge.
About IFM North America
IFMNA is an international research consultancy that focuses on the value of sports properties and assets, and the economic activity surrounding sporting events, leagues and their communities. IFMNA is headquartered in St. Louis, MO. Its clients have included Major League Baseball, International Cycling Union, WTA, ATP, INDYCAR. IFMNA has a strong background in professional cycling, having experience with tracking cycling audiences and sponsorship valuations and impacts around the globe and performing similar economic impact work for more 10 stage races, including the Tour of Missouri and USA Pro Challenge. In addition, IFMNA has the privilege of working with many top cycling teams – BMC Racing Team, Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda, Team Type 1-Sanofi and, previously, Team Highroad.
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