Fort Collins wins Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Community again! |
|
The League of American Bicyclists has again honored Fort Collins with the prestigious Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community award – one of just five communities in the U.S. to receive the honor.
The Platinum BFC award recognizes Fort Collins ’ commitment to improving conditions for all people who bike through investments in bike education programs, bike events that promote and encourage people to choose biking, pro-bike policies, and bike infrastructure.
Fort Collins was first designated a Platinum BFC in 2013, and the award was up for renewal this year. It has long been a goal of the City to be a recognized leader for the work our transportation professionals and residents have put in over the years to make our community more accessible by bike. We’re proud to continue to be a part of the nearly 500 communities across the United States that are transforming America one Bicycle Friendly Community at a time.
The city also has 61 Bicycle Friendly Businesses – one of the highest numbers in the country. The City of Fort Collins itself is a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Business and Colorado State University is a Platinum Bicycle Friendly University.
“Biking has the power to transform our nation economically, environmentally and socially and it’s so important that communities like Fort Collins have laid the groundwork over several years to make biking a safe, accessible option for all. With many more Americans turning to biking as a fun way to get outdoors and as a necessary transportation option, we must keep the momentum to build a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone going,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists.
People across our community are biking more than ever, for commuting to essential jobs, trips to the store, and for recreation. We can’t wait for future events where we can all celebrate this award and our achievements for building a better community together.
|
|
Scooter club debuts with
Safe Routes to School
|
|
|
|
Who knew kids could be so excited about riding their scooters as a team? Well, a new after-school scooter club proved to be a highlight of the fall semester for students at PSD Global Academy. The cool thing about scooters is that they are small, easy to maintain, efficient to store, and just plain fun. And, as with all non-motorized transportation, they’re great exercise! |
|
Winter Bike to Work
(or Wherever) Day:
last call for station hosts
|
|
Time is running out to sign up as a Winter Bike to Work (or Wherever) Day breakfast station host!
This season we are aligning our WBT(W)D event with the International Winter Bike to Work Day, planned for Friday, Feb. 11, 2022 from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Why the shift? The international bicycling world has been celebrating Winter Bike to Work Day in February for a long time, while Fort Collins has typically hosted the event in December. We are switching to celebrate along with everyone else, and if our participation turns out like typical, we could be one of the top cities in the world for Winter Bike to Work Day 2022. We want you to be a part of that!
Breakfast stations are the meat and potatoes (literally) of Fort Collins’ Bike to Work Day events. Being a breakfast station host is an easy way to celebrate and promote Fort Collins’ bicycling culture, and some locations can engage with hundreds of community members. Our largest stations may even see close to a thousand visitors on Feb. 11!
As a breakfast station host you can choose to join forces with other businesses and organizations, and co-hosting is a great way to share costs and person power needed to support a Bike to Work Day station. Visit our website to download our Station Host Toolkit, contact us for assistance or to brainstorm ideas. But hurry, the call for station hosts will close in a few days on Friday, Dec. 17, 2021 at 5 p.m.
|
|
There is still time to lease a discounted
electric vehicle
|
|
The EV Group Buy program is still offering discounts on EV lease opportunities at Fort Collins dealerships through the end of 2021. While supplies last, qualified community members will be eligible for discounts off of a new electric vehicle. Not only will leasers benefit from annual savings on gas, but they will also be creating a Fort Collins that is cleaner, quieter, and more forward-thinking! Visit the northern Colorado Clean Cities (NCCC) web site for more information. |
|
North College MAX Plan update |
|
The first phase of public engagement is complete. In an effort to create a plan to bring the MAX Bus Rapid Transit to North College Avenue, the community has shared their vision and concerns for introducing this service. Please take a look at the feedback and don’t forget to sign up for our mailing list! |
|
|
FC Moves has some bittersweet news to share. Amanda Mansfield, a Transportation Planner on the Active Modes team, has accepted a new position as the Senior Manager of Transportation for the Boulder Chamber/Boulder Transportation Connections. This is an incredible opportunity for Amanda. We know she will help the Boulder region make huge shifts from single occupancy vehicle trips to more sustainable modes of transportation.
Amanda has been instrumental in managing Fort Collins’ shared e-micromobility program in partnership with Spin and CSU, earning and managing a CanDo Colorado e-bike grant to provide e-bikes to low-income essential workers, leading travel diary studies, the development and implementation of Fort Collins’ Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap, and so much more. Amanda is an incredible advocate for sustainable transportation and equitable access, particularly for the differently-abled population. We will miss Amanda dearly but will be following her work in Boulder closely as we expand our Shift Your Ride program.
|
|
Solar lights at Transfort bus stops |
|
Now that the days are shorter, you might be using Transfort after dark. Take advantage of the new lights installed at select bus stops to help notify bus operators that you are there.
The lights are completely solar powered with a battery storage system. Riders can activate the light using a push button. The light will stay illuminated for approximately 5 minutes.
|
|
First and foremost, we wish to extend a huge “Thank you” to the community members who completed responses to our Community Survey and provided details to our web map exercise as part of our Existing Conditions Phase. In all, we received nearly 640 Community Survey responses and almost 1,400 web map comments during the month of November. We also engaged our Community Advisory Committee and Technical Advisory Committee to provide map information and asked them to distribute the map and survey to community members in their personal networks.
In addition to the map and survey, we coordinated a couple unique activities to engage the community as part of our Existing Conditions Phase. Our Safe Routes to School colleagues facilitated an in-person mapping exercise with nearly 350 middle school youth where they identified barriers to using active modes of transportation.
We also had the opportunity to work with a new Latina-owned business called Community Connectors. These amazing people went door-to-door to engage their neighbors living in typically underserved neighborhoods. The Community Connectors allowed us to survey and engage with nearly 300 Spanish-speaking community members to ensure their voices were heard and reflected in our Existing Conditions Phase.
|
|
Cycling in Winter - Interested in riding year-round, but not sure how to prepare for the colder season? Learn tips and techniques to help you ride safely, confidently, and comfortably. Topics include what to wear, what to ride, safe winter bike handling, route selection, and winter bike maintenance.
Students can get a free set bike lights, Fort Collins bike map, and reflective stickers for attending!
Next class Jan. 11 from 5:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
|
|
|
|
Bicycle Friendly Driver - We'll discuss common bicyclist behavior, unique bicycling infrastructure, and how to avoid crashes or conflicts. Earn a Bicycle Friendly Driver certification upon completion of the course.
Next class Jan. 20 from 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
|
|
Bike Maintenance 1 - In this online intro to bicycle mechanics class we'll focus on conceptual topics and maintenance that can easily be done at home to keep your bike happy. Students are encouraged to take this class again in the spring to get hands-on experience.
Students that complete the class will receive a free patch kit and tire levers.
Next class January 27 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
|
|
City of Fort Collins-FC Moves | fcgov.com/fcmoves
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
