Bike Fort Collins’ Vision: “For Fort Collins to be the Amsterdam of the U.S.” 

As a way of rallying support for and helping call awareness to Our Vision that we established and introduced back in 2020, with the screening of the movie Together We Cycle at a virtual Bicycle Film Festival, Bike Fort Collins also began collecting names of people who support and agree with the vision last year.

Our vision statement is specifically intended to conjure the image, reference the bicycle mode share that Amsterdam enjoys (as do many cities in the Netherlands for that matter), or the number of people who ride bikes relative to the population size, and simply reference the bicycle culture that they have established, as well as all the wonderful, safe, bicycle infrastructure that exists to support it all.

Since Winter Bike to Work Day in February of 2022, we’ve had a sign-up sheet out at any event where we have a table or a booth and collect names of those who subscribe to this vision. Within the first six months we collected nearly 500 names and we are now approaching one-thousand names, with 913 individuals officially on the list. If you havent’ had a chance to sign it, watch for a future event where we have the sign-up sheet out so you get your name on the list (as only need to sign it once). Here’s what people sign:

“Our vision is for Fort Collins to be the Amsterdam of the U.S. when it comes to bicycling, where everyday is like today…with people riding bikes, or even more. Where bicycling isn’t part of the culture, it is the culture. Where bicycling is the preferred mode to get to work, school, or run errands. Where we need bike parking garages to accommodate all the bikes being ridden. Where using more direct bicycle infrastructure is faster than traveling by car. The list could go on. You get the picture? Do you share our vision?”

Inspiring Other Dutch Bicycling Initiatives

Shortly after introducing Our Vision, in its Dutch inspired spirit, BFC was also proud to help the City conceive of a five-part “How the Dutch Do It” Webinar Series for city and county personnel, as well as CDOT representatives who are responsible for planning, designing, and implementing infrastructure plans and improvements. The Dutch Cycling Embassy, who coordinated the series, brought Dutch mobility experts to the table, as well as representatives from the City of Enschede to knowledge share, given their City’s similar size to Fort Collins, in addition to also having a University within its boundaries like we do.

Building from that series, this past April, once again in partnership with the Dutch Cycling Embassy, the City hosted a small group of Dutch mobility experts for an in-person, 3-day Think Bike Workshop. Working with many of the same individuals who participated in the webinar series the previous year, the aim of the workshop was to learn how to build a cycling network that, as in the Netherlands, is safe and suitable for people of all ages, abilities, and for different types of bicycles. BFC was not only thrilled to participate in the workshop, but at its conclusion, moderated a panel discussion that was open to the public following a screening of….none other than….Together We Cycle.