2023 city elections
Bike Fort Collins sent all candidates in the 2023 City Election a short questionnaire to allow them to introduce themselves and provide their positions on proximate bicycle and active transportation-related issues. While BFC cannot endorse or support a specific candidate, we are happy to share their responses to foster more informed voting decisions this year.
Jeni Arndt – MAYORal RAce
GENERAL
Question: Do you regularly ride a bicycle? If so, what kind of riding do you do?
Answer: Oh, yes, I do! I am an avid biker. Is tarted long distance biking in the late 1970s by biking to Utah from Fort Collins with my mom and my brother. That started it. From there, I rode to Aspen several times from Colorado College, leading a bike trip my senior year through Napa Valley. I biked through Europe my junior year of college.
After college, my mom and I rode our bikes from Iowa (doing Ragbrai) to Maine. The following year, I led a group of 24 on Bike Aide from San Francisco to NYC on bikes. And then worked for Vermont Country cyclers. Recently, I have done Pedal the Plains (multiple years) and the Triple By-pass. I also participate in triathlons and casual rides in northern Colorado. I have 4 bikes— mountain, city cruiser, racing and touring! I am a biker.
Question: Given Fort Collins’s bicycle friendliness, what City bike amenity (i.e. what bike trail, or bikeway, maintenance stations, etc.), element of bicycle infrastructure, or bicycle program is your favorite, or (if you ride) that you use most regularly?
Answer: I use the bike trails around town and some of the trails at Lory. But when I go out,I usually go for longer rides on the road. I love it all.
ACTIVE MODES PLAN
The City’s most current Active Modes Plan combines and updates the City’s 2011 Pedestrian Plan and 2014 Bicycle Plan as well as incorporating micromobility devices such as scooters and skateboards.
Question: What should be the City’s role in supporting (including funding) active modes of transportation as a safe, affordable, efficient and convenient travel option for people of all ethnicities, ages and abilities?
Answer: I am ALL in on bikes. I also used to live in Copenhagen. I love Fort Collins, but I think we have a long way to go—and we need to plan for an even more bike friendly city. I still find it a bit astounding that we don’t have wide, safe bike routes to all schools. That’s where we build life- long bicyclists.
Question: What role do you see active transportation playing in City’ ability to achieve its goal and reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2030 (vs. 2005 levels), on its way to carbon neutrality by 2050?
Answer: Transitioning to a clean energy future is essential. Right now, cars are the largest source of carbon emissions and we need to look at our city planning and our behavior to do our part in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Significant areas of our local community have gaps or intersections and areas that need improvement as it relates to safe bicycling and walking infrastructure. In addition to being a safety hazard, they discourage residents from these activities, as a recently completed Multi-modal Index also highlights. Bike Fort Collins has begun to feature some of these ‘opportunities’ on our website as Intersection/Facility Focuses, as well as made presentations to the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and Transportation Board.
Question: How would you approach these opportunities and other infrastructure gaps relative to bicycle safety?
Answer: I think this is one of our top priorities. Biking must be safe in order for it to be accessible.
FORT COLLINS BIKE PARK
Bike Fort Collins is a partner in an initiative started by our peer organization, Overland Mountain Bike Association, to bring a Bike Park to the City of Fort Collins. While Fort Collins is the progressive and bicycle friendly city that it is, many residents have to travel to places like Boulder (see Valmont Bike Park) to access such an amenity. In surveying the community for input during the 2020 Parks & Rec 10-Year Master Planning process, if ‘Mountain Bike Courses’ hadn’t been listed separately from ‘Bike Park’ (as they are contained within Bike Parks), the combined category would have been among the top-four identified/desired amenities by the community. See survey results.
Question: Do you support the planning and construction of a Bike Park for the Fort Collins community? Why or why not?
Answer: Yes!! Of Course. Biking is healthy for people and for our environment. If we build a bike park, it might reduce some of the runner/biker conflicts. I don’t think there are many of these, but it would be great for bikes to have a park—it’s fun and social, too! I am in!
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SAFE ROUTES
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ACTIVE LIVING?
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