The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Cycling in the North Front Range: Issues and Opportunities

Introduction: This table presents comments made by about 50 cyclists at a Bike Town meeting in Fort Collins on May 12, 2005. The comments are divided first into "good" comments about cycling in Larimer County and those areas or cycling "issues" that "need work".

The four "E" words: Engineering, Education, Encouragement and Enforcement are from the Fort Collins Bicycle Program Plan of 1995. This plan addressed the question of first creating an infrastructure of facilities (Engineering), before following up with a program of Education, Encouragement, and Enforcement.

We found that most of the issues cyclists brought up could easily be tagged with one of the "E" words, validating, we think, the original 1995 Bike Plan.

The first 17 items are all "positive" things about cycling in the North Front Range. The remaining 42 items are "negative" things or issues that "need work" in the region.

The only concerns or comments that did not fall into the "E" categories are three staff issues (that refer to city staff), two social/recreational issues, and one that wasn't clear and escaped categorization. Also, the two positive comments about the weather and geographic area fall outside the other four "Es" but are referred to here with the fifth "E" - Environment.

Our next step with this list is to include phone numbers of Fort Collins City staff to call for resolution of those issues IF they are within the power of those offices to fix.

The group also agreed to prioritize these issues for the purpose of pursuing policy or programmatic solutions with City and County officials.

Great things about Cycling in the North Front Range

1 Staff Planning people in Parks and Recreation champions

2 Social Clubs / Events / Racing

3 Social Critical Mass rides

4 Not sure Flagging folks

5 Environment Climate

6 Environment Recreational riding / great environs

7 Engineering Shoulders on many roads

8 Engineering Bike trails: Poudre River Tr, Spring Creek Tr

9 Engineering Extension of Poudre Rv trail to LaPorte

10 Engineering Mountain biking in county parks

11 Engineering Wide roads in general

12 Engineering Bike Lanes on streets in city-“complete streets” policy

13 Engineering Right turn / bike lanes

14 Engineering Mason Street Corridor (new name Central Parkway)

15 Encouragement Smart Trips – “Yellowbikes” “freewheels”, outreach, maps

16 Encouragement General support of cycling (positive)

17 Education Majority of drivers courteous (plus good policies)

Whom to Call in Fort Collins City Government

If you call any of the folks below in Fort Collins City Government you are calling a bureaucracy. That's just a fact of life.

But look at it this way - these are some of the friendliest bureaucrats on the face of the planet and that goes for Melanie Clarke in the Streets Department. So for almost ANY street repair or related issue call Melanie first at 221-6615. If she gives you the run around it's only because she is trying to put you in touch with the right person!

For Bicycle and Traffic Planning issues call David Averill in the Transportation Department.

For storm grate hazards call Rodney Albers in stormwater drainage: 224-6024 or, better yet, send him an e-mail with the exact problem and location. He can respond and forward your message to the correct person. His e-mail is: ralbers@fcgov.com.

For problems with detours for bicycles during contstruction projects call Syl Mireles at 221-6815 (Traffic Dept.)

For anything related to bike paths or trails call the city Parks and Recreation Department at 221-6660. Heather Mauro will talk with you and put you in touch with the correct person.

Traffic light doesn't work? Call the Traffic Dept. 221-6630. That would be the same if bike sensors don't activate the light.

When in doubt, call Melanie!

Not Such Great things about cycling the North Front Range

1 Staff Providing a point of contact

2 Staff Fill City Bike/Pedestrian coordinator position

3 Engineering Painted center lines on bike path and Crosswalks slickParks and Rec. on street would Streets

4 Engineering Bike path – blind corners especially at some of the underpasses

5 Engineering Bike path – old Asphalt sections really bad Parks & Rec

6 Engineering Congestion on Mountain Bike trails, example by Stadium

7 Engineering Slotted grates

8 Engineering Manhole covers

9 Engineering Lack of uniform bike lane size – width (example: Lemay)

10 Engineering Repair of Stoplights

11 Engineering Removal of Bike lanes, i.e. Wabash East of Shields (Engineering)

12 Engineering Stoplights not triggered by bicycles, often even when bike sensor there.

13 Engineering RR crossing very bumpy, uneven

14 Engineering Center routes – North to South missing key connections

15 Engineering Vanishing bike lanes at critical places, i.e. College, Drake, RR

16 Engineering Cars parked in bike lanes at CSU (Call CSU)

17 Engineering Cone placement in construction zones does not give room for bikes

18 Engineering Construction signage in Bike Lanes 19 Engineering Pavement/Gutter 20 Engineering Narrow bike lanes, example: Lemay south end, Horsetooth, Shields

21 Engineering Rumble strips – Owl Canyon, CO 1, …

22 Engineering City/County/State Roads clean up gravel/sweeping in Spring - Streets

23 Engineering Bike detour policies

24 Enforcement Traffic court should force education for bike violations

25 Enforcement Traffic enforcement by police hardly exists

26 Enforcement Headlamps not being considered valid headlight

27 Encourage Publicity for commuting incentive program on CSU

28 Encourage Kids don’t ride, how can we encourage them

29 Education City budgeting / planning process-communicate to city council members

30 Education Communication among groups and businesses

31 Education Learning the decision making process

32 Education Education of Parents

33 Education Lack of Mountain Bike Racing

34 Education Bike education – safety, rights, responsibilities (adult and children)

35 Education Communication between police/agencies

36 Education Communication between cyclists/groups

37 Education Hostile trucks – cement trucks and other businesses

38 Education Bias against cycling

39 Education Get city agencies concerned about cycling issues

40 Education Potential cancellations of future events (i.e., banning cycling)

41 Education Permitting events

42 Education Keeping events safe