Grade 4: History of the Cherry Creek Trail

Back in 1972, Fred Wolfe was a young city planner in Denver, hired specifically to help get the city ready to host the ‘76 Winter Olympic Games. When that project fizzled, his life took another path -- literally.

 

Mr. Wolfe, the grandfather of Hayden Agron (5), visited fourth graders this week to talk about his work as the designer of the Cherry Creek bike path. Fourth graders will travel the path on two wheels later this month for the annual Grade 4 Bike Hike.

 

After Denver voted to withdraw their Olympic bid, Mr. Wolfe stayed on at the city planning office. Every day — rain, snow or shine — he rode his bicycle from near Glendale to downtown for work. Mr. Wolfe remembers that he was the only person in his office who was a daily cycling commuter, and in those days, the cycling industry had not yet developed the necessary safety equipment for riders.

 

“There was no such thing as a bicycle helmet, so I wore a kayaking helmet,” he told students. One day, he was struck by a car while on his bike and the helmet, he believes, saved his life.

 

Other professionals like him, doctors and lawyers and teachers, were also regular cyclists and they began to pressure the mayor to provide safer paths for bicyclists. The mayor went to the city planning office for help, and Mr. Wolfe was given the job to research, analyze and present a plan for a comprehensive bike path system in Denver.

 

The result, authored by Mr. Wolfe in 1972, was The Bikeway Plan.

 

“It was the first bicycle plan for a major city in the U.S.,” he said. Part of The Bikeway Plan was to develop a concrete pathway along Cherry Creek. Mr. Wolfe designed the path with its on-ramps and off-ramps to meet the needs of bicycle commuters riding into downtown Denver, and it is now used by walkers and runners as well. Additional connecting paths were later added that can take a rider as far as Boulder.

 

Mr. Wolfe went on to write two books about urban cycling and to design bike path systems for other cities such as Steamboat Springs. Students appreciated hearing the history of the bike path and had several questions to conclude the presentation. We are thankful to Mr. Wolfe for sharing his expertise and giving us a glimpse of the history of the Cherry Creek Trail!