By Bill Plock
Road cycling in Jefferson County, and in Colorado at large, has lost a tireless advocate and champion of everyday road cycling.
Dave Evans, founder and chairman of Bike Jeffco passed away suddenly on Friday, 15 December 2017 from complications following an emergency heart surgery.
Bike Jeffco was formed in 1998 at the request of Jefferson County – initially to provide a forum to identify and prioritize the needs of on-road cyclists in Jefferson County, and to help get action on those priorities by the relevant county authority bodies. Dave was an active cycling commuter, and provided real time insight into road and trail conditions and needs. He truly “rode the talk” when it came to using cycling as mainstream transportation mode to enhance Jefferson County’s livability.
Dave was a British citizen by birth, and we often kidded him that it was his accent that made him so effective – everyone would stop and listen to him. Truth is, though, that he networked constantly to be able to connect the needs of the people he talked with to those who could help get things done.
It’s a legacy of understanding that we all need to enable the respectful exchange of ideas to balance finite resources with needs of all types of road users.
Dave Evans has done more for cycling in Jefferson County than anyone knows. Dave helped bring funds to the C-470 trail system that were in disrepair, he was instrumental in getting the Genessee bike path built to bridge the missing link, and succeeded in getting legislation passed in Jefferson County to require all new roads and road projects to be cycling and pedestrian friendly. For the last couple of years, Dave’s back made it difficult for him to get out and ride, but he still spent time advocating for cycling causes. Dave was a cycling champion, a former neighbor, and a friend.
Dave was truly a force for good in cycling and a dear friend. He will be sorely missed.