Recently Bike Fort Collins began to aggregate a growing list of intersection and facility improvement opportunities that it has either observed, or received feedback about from the community.
In an effort to ensure we’re acting on this feedback (on behalf of the community and all Bike Fort Collins supporters), BFC developed a presentation that highlights a few intersection/facilities and the problems/issues that people on bikes face at each one. BFC is appreciative of the recent opportunities it has had to deliver this presentation to both, the City of Fort Collins Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) on October 5, and the City’s Transportation Board on November 18.
All three opportunities in our initial presentation featured intersections, and two of those are the same intersections BFC recently surveyed the community about in separate issues of The Pedal Post (our monthly eNewsletter). The survey results we received from those surveys were also incorporated and referenced in the presentation.
The three intersections highlighted were:
Drake Road & Overland Trail (See survey results) – Showcasing the exposure people on bikes have traveling northbound on Overland Trail through the intersection with vehicular traffic merging from westbound Drake
The current motorist experience traveling westbound on Drake Road.
The current cyclist experience traveling northbound on Overland Trail, where northbound traffic has the right-of-way.
Elizabeth Street & Shields Street– Showcasing the narrowness of the southbound bike lane on Shields, as well as how northbound Shields vehicular traffic shoots the gap on cyclists when making left turns onto Elizabeth
The current, tight cyclist experience traveling southbound on Shields through the W. Elizabeth intersection.
Elizabeth Street & Taft Hill Road (See survey results) – Showcasing the awkwardness for people on bikes to share the westbound right turn lane (sharrow), even when they want to go straight, as well as the narrowness of the eastbound bike lane on Elizabeth when approaching Taft Hill
The current cyclist experience traveling westbound on Elizabeth through the Taft Hill intersection.
The current cyclist experience traveling eastbound on Elizabeth through the Taft Hill intersection.
The presentations were well received by both groups. Each group shared their experiences and comments following each intersection. BFC captured comments and will follow up with the city on next steps with potential solutions (both shorter and longer term). And, it appears BFC will be invited back by both groups to make similar presentations on other intersection/facility opportunities in 2021.
We’ll be sure to keep you posted on any improvements or measures that are taken at any of these intersections as a result of presentations like these and/or our continued efforts to generate awareness for the problems/issues at intersections and other facilities, as well as any future presentations we make.
In the meantime, please continue to let us know when (and where) you have unsafe experiences on your bike (or even walking) as a function of the way the road/street is designed, striped, configured, etc. Either submit a comment below or email us at info@bikefortcollins.org.