….Contributor Bill Thomas, Fort Collins Resident and Cyclist
My wife, Susan and I have called East Vine Drive, just half a mile east of North Timberline Road, our home since February 2020. One of the biggest draws of Fort Collins for us was its extensive biking infrastructure. However, we’ve had our share of frustrations accessing it safely—or at least in a way that felt safe to us.
The pavement on East Vine Drive was far from ideal, and the shoulders, marked as bike lanes in some places, felt narrow and extremely rough for a road or hybrid bike. Riding from Greenfields Drive to the Poudre River Whitewater Park access felt unpleasant and scary due to traffic. An alternative route was to take East Vine Drive, a shorter distance to North Timberline Road, and then head south to the access just past East Mulberry Street. This wasn’t always convenient, depending on our destination, and the East Mulberry Street and South Timberline Road intersection could be busy and challenging on a bike. Many times, we ended up loading our bikes onto a rack and driving to an access point—not exactly the green lifestyle we aimed for.
We are thrilled about the recent improvements on East Vine Drive. The city has been resurfacing the road for the last couple of weeks, and the finished product is nearly complete. The new surface is much smoother, as expected, but the real game-changer is the widened shoulders and clearly marked bike lanes stretching the entire distance from 9th Street/Lindenmeier Road. to I-25. These small changes have significantly improved our perception of safety on that street.
Susan and I are excited to use our bikes for transportation much more often now. I do wish the city could address the small bridge between South Timberline Road and North Lemay Avenue, which forces cyclists into traffic for a short distance. However, that’s a minor complaint compared to the overall improvements. We’re ready to rediscover the joys of biking in Fort Collins, starting right from our doorstep on East Vine.
To Find up-to-date information about Fort Collins paving and multimodal improvements coming to a street near you. Click Here