Metro manpowered vehicle contest pedals into Denver 

By Sean Weaver
The Metropolitan

Metro will sponsor the first American Society of Mechanical Engineers Human-Powered Vehicle Competition to be held in Colorado.
 

The event, planned for May 1-3 at the former Stapleton Airport, will draw 40 schools from across the United States, Canada and Mexico and will give spectators a glimpse of the developmental stages of the next generation of transportation.

Dale Brophy, lab coordinator for Metroâs Engineering and Industrial Technology department, said the event will be televised and give Metro national and international recognition.

ãItâs no secret weâre running out of petroleum,ä Brophy said. ã(People are) looking for ways of getting municipality personnel around without using engines or full-sized vehicles.ä

The competition will judge the vehicleâs design, speed and practicality. Ross Boxleitner, Metroâs team captain, said the school will compete with their ãRoadrunner,ä a single-rider vehicle made with a magnesium-alloy frame and Fiberglas shell.