Bike Fort Collins is proud to have helped initiate a tool concept for which planned development ultimately made its way as an Action Step (page 128) into the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (NFRMPO) 2021 Regional Active Transportation Plan (ATP) during its development.
In early 2021, given the data-driven nature of prioritizing infrastructure improvements and investment, BFC sought out to develop an app that could capture data by allowing bicyclists to self-report “near misses,” rather than wait for a crash to occur and become crash data, which unfortunately also means someone may have likely been injured or killed in order to create that datapoint. Realizing the NRFMPO already had a similar software in place for other initiatives, BFC approached them with the idea. They embraced the idea, ultimately incorporating it into the Regional ATP, then took the lead on the development of the proto-type, and introducing the pilot version of the application at Bike to Work Day last week via distirbution of a QR code/card (see photo). We’re appreciative of their leadership and the resources they’ve been able to apply to the tool’s development.
Bike & Ped Safety Reporter Tool
The application or tool not only allows the community to self-report “near misses,” but also evolved to allow for reporting other hazards that users may experience while participating in active modes of transportation (walking, biking or rolling on any other device). Examples of the types of hazards that can be reported include:
- Inherent dangerous movements or interactions between vehicles and bikes or pedestrians
- Missing infrastructure, such as sidewalks, bike lanes, or crosswalks
- Traffic signal timing issues, such as a signal cycling too fast and not allowing adequate time for a pedestrian or bicycle to clear the intersection
- Obstructed sidewalks or bike lanes
- Infrastructure or bike facilities requiring maintenance or that have nighttime lighting issues
Check-out the tool by clicking on the button below:
As one of the regional partners in this effort, Bike Fort Collins asks and encourages you to check-out the web-based application and begin to report hazards, or “near misses.” We look forward to continuing to help promote the tool as a data capture resource to help better inform the NFRMPO and all the University and municipal partners where infrastructure improvements and investments either need to be, or can be made in order to make our streets safer.
Also, in the meantime, you can track where and/or what people are reporting on the tool’s public dashboard. And, while we will continue to provide updates on the tool’s progress, you can also monitor it on the NFRMPO’s safety page here.