In this Issue:

• NFRMPO Executive Director Update
• Bike to Work Day
• I-25 Groundbreaking
• Partner Agency Updates
• Simple Steps for Better Air - RAQC
• Strategic Trails Plan Update - Fort Collins
• VanGo Vanpooling
• Mobility News in Northern Colorado
• RideNoCo Q2 Dashboard
• Get Involved!

Read on for the latest transportation updates along the North Front Range.

The NFRMPO is pleased to announce that Paul Sizemore of Fort Collins Colorado has accepted the position as the new Executive Director to lead the organization starting at the beginning of July 2024. Paul has been with the City of Fort Collins since 2013, most recently as the Director of Community Development & Neighborhood Services. He also has Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) experience with the Grand Valley MPO in Mesa County and previous planning and community development experience in Florida. Paul is a seasoned veteran with 20+ years of experience in the public sector. He is a values-driven public sector executive leader with a lifetime of experience building teams and systems, operationalizing strategic plans, preparing and implementing complex budgets, and delivering on organizational objectives.  

“I am very excited about this opportunity” said Paul as he enjoys working with boards, commissions, and councils. “The main reason I was drawn to this position is the opportunity to work closely and collaboratively with elected officials from across the region; to broker compromises, build relationships, and accomplish more together than we can individually”.  

“We are very pleased to have such an exceptional candidate to take over the leadership role for the NFRMPO” said Jon Mallo, the Chair of the NFRMPO. Over the past several years the NFRMPO has expanded to create a one call/one click transportation services center geared to people with disabilities and the elderly, is standing up the first Transportation Management Organization (TMO) in the region, and expanding transportation demand management work as additions to the federal and state requirements.  

Congratulations to Paul! 

Bike to Work Day in Northern Colorado

Bike to Work (or Anywhere!) Day was Wednesday, June 26, 2024. NFRMPO staff co-hosted five stations this year across the region:

• Fort Collins at the corner of Canyon Ave and Magnolia St
• Fairgrounds Park in Loveland,
• Lincoln Park in Greeley,
• The corner of 34^th Street and 17^th Avenue in Evans,
• and Boardwalk Park Windsor

The five stations combined had 233 visitors and Staff was able to have some great conversations with residents of the communities about transportation, safety, mobility, and trail access. In all communities, Staff encouraged cyclists and walkers to take the NFRMPO’s 2025 Active Transportation Plan Survey to ensure their concerns are addressed in the plan.

On May 30, 2024 representatives from the NFRMPO, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and Federal Highway Administration, along with many other Northern Colorado stakeholder, gathered to officially break ground on the next segment of the North I-25 Express Lanes project. Construction began in early May on the section of I-25 between Berthoud and Mead and is expected to be completed in 2028. Details on the ceremony and the project can be found in the official press release from CDOT.  

NFRMPO Councilmembers Jim Kelly (CDOT Transportation Commission), William Karspeck (Town of Berthoud), Kristin Stephens (Larimer County), Scott James (Weld County), CDOT Regional Transportation Director Heather Paddock, and Johnny Olson (City of Greeley) attended the ceremony.

CDOT has recorded a presentation giving an overview of the project including the scope of the I-25 North project including the upcoming schedule for construction of the Berthoud to Mead segment.  View more about North I-25 on the project website.

Ground-level ozone is the Front Range’s most pressing air quality problem each summer. We can’t see or smell it, but this pollutant accumulates the most on hot and sunny blue-sky days, reaching its highest levels in the afternoons and evenings.

While ozone serves an important purpose high up in the atmosphere — protecting us from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation — at ground level, high concentrations of ozone are unhealthy. Ozone makes it difficult to breathe, increases our susceptibility to respiratory infections, and exacerbates respiratory ailments such as asthma. You might feel it as irritation in your throat or a tightness in your chest while out walking the dog, at the park, riding your bike, or on an afternoon run.

Ozone forms in the air when emissions from gas-powered vehicles, gas-powered lawn equipment, and oil and gas production react in the sunshine and heat of summer days. Both colorless and odorless, ozone is different than wildfire smoke, or tiny particulate matter called PM2.5. 

Want to help? Take some Simple Steps for Better Air:

• Drive less by carpooling, combining errands, or taking the bus or the light rail to get where you need to go. For shorter distances, leave the car at home and walk, ride a scooter, or your bike or e-bike.
• Fuel up your car after 5 p.m. and do not idle your car. When it is time to purchase a new vehicle, consider a low- or zero-emissions vehicle, like an EV.
• Mow the lawn after 5 p.m. if you still use gas-powered equipment. Even better, upgrade your old gas lawn equipment electric with a 30% state discount at participating retailers this year!
• If your job can be done remotely, work from home at least one day a week and eliminate your commute altogether.

Taking these timely, simple steps in the summer improves our Front Range air quality, our health, and our ability to enjoy the outdoors!

Visit https://simplestepsbetterair.org/ for more information about how to reduce your ozone impact this summer and breathe easier.

The City of Fort Collins is updating the Strategic Trails Plan to provide a framework for the future planning, design, maintenance, and preservation of its trail system. Throughout the process, numerous opportunities for input are planned as we envision an expanding trail system that provides enhanced recreational opportunities while connecting you to the places you need to go.  

An important objective of the Strategic Trails Plan is to ensure we are planning for future regional connections between communities along Colorado’s north front range, including Wellington, LaPorte, Loveland, Timnath, Windsor, and Greeley. These regional trail connections are critical in tying together other trail networks and enabling north front range residents and visitors to walk, run and ride safely, and car-free, between our cities.  

To inspire and help envision a future where trails connect to key origins and destinations along the front range, the City of Fort Collins is hosting a Northern Colorado Trails Summit on September 26, 2024, at the Rio Grande Restaurant’s Agave Room in downtown Fort Collins.  The evening event will offer networking and exhibition opportunities, and we’ll hear from speakers who have excelled in area of regional trail planning, including the keynote speaker, Charles Flink who has authored numerous books on Greenway planning. Chuck’s most recent book, “The Greenway Imperative” sheds light on the nuances of greenway planning and offers a behind the scenes look at communities working together to create intercity trail connections.  

We look forward to the buildout of a paved trail network that is accessible, safe, innovative, and built for users of all ages, lifestyles, activity levels and modes. So please save the date and be on the lookout for the official event invite. And get involved! More information can be found on the Strategic Trails Plan webpage: https://ourcity.fcgov.com/stp

By Dave “DK” Kemp, Senior Trails Planner (City of Fort Collins)

dk@fcgov.com

The grind of US 34 or I-25 commuting starting to wear you down? Traffic congestion, the stress of always being the driver, the seemingly endless hunt for parking dragging on your soul? Maybe it is time to refresh and try a cost effective, convenient and efficient solution: vanpooling with VanGo™.

Vanpooling is shared commuting where a group of 3 to 7 people travel together, beginning and ending in similar locations. An influx of fresh air to the environment, limiting cars on the road, and providing a commuting ‘family”, studies have shown that people who vanpool show up for work feeling less stressed and arrive home, in many cases having already processed the day with their van-mates, ready to be fully present for friends and family. Good for the environment, your budget, and your mental health. 

VanGo™ provides a commuter centric approach to your daily drive. We offer multiple routes, some that are even nearly door-to-door, full-time and hybrid participation option to fit your schedule, modern and comfortable Toyota Sienna Hybrids to drive, and a flat monthly fare inclusive of fuel, insurance, maintenance, and a guaranteed ride home in cases of emergency, that makes your monthly budgeting a breeze.

Ready for a refresh? Check us out at vangovanpools.org and see if we have a route for you. And if we don’t, we’re always willing to consider starting new ones. 

From April 2024 to July 2024 the RideNoCo call center received:

83 calls

58.3% of the calls received were from people aged 60+

72.3% of the calls needed help getting to Medical Appointments

9.6% of the calls were Veterans.

Summer Outreach Events

During the summer months, NFRMPO staff attend community events and festivals to have conversations with the public about the various projects and plans the agency is undertaking, Check out the NFRMPO Calendar at nfrmpo.org/calendar and social media pages for updates on where we will be! 

See what's happening at the NFRMPO and join us virtually or in person at one of our upcoming events or meetings. For a comprehensive and up to date calendar of events, visit https://nfrmpo.org/calendar, and to download meeting materials, visit https://nfrmpo.org/meeting-materials.