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Bicycling In Downtown Fort Collins#

The City of Fort Collins and local stakeholders are working to make bicycling safer for bicyclists and pedestrians in the downtown area. Bicycling on the sidewalks in the downtown area is prohibited. Police officers will ticket bicyclists and skateboarders for riding in the dismount zone. In October 2019, the downtown dismount was expanded. In addition to the existing dismount zones below, the expanded dismount zone now also includes:

  • N. College Ave. between Laporte Ave. and Maple/Jefferson streets, on both the east and west sides of the street.
  • Linden St. from Jefferson St. to the Poudre Trail, on both east and west sides of the street.
  • Laporte Ave., on the north side of the street, from N. College Ave. to Washington's at 132 Laporte Ave.
  • Laporte Ave., on the south side of the street, from N. College Ave. to N. Mason St.
  • Pine St. from Walnut St. to Jefferson St., on both east and west sides of the street.

Bicycling on College Ave. is legal downtown, but recommended for experienced bicyclists are who are comfortable riding with traffic (it is not legal from Laurel St south to Harmony Rd.) To access the downtown area on low-traffic streets North and South, please ride Mason St., Howes St., Remington St., and Mathews St. Low-traffic East-West connections to downtown include Laporte Ave. to Walnut, Mountain Ave., Oak St., Olive St. and Magnolia St.

Always be sure to carefully cross railroad tracks at a 90 degree angle as the tracks can be slippery and bumpy.

Alleyways also create excellent low-traffic bicycle connectivity throughout downtown, but be sure to watch for pedestrian, motorist, and other bicyclist activity. Ride predictably, respectfully, and always use hand signals, a bike bell, and bike lights (at night) when bicycling anywhere in the City of Fort Collins and always wear a helmet.

For a complete view of bike routes through downtown as well as the perimeter of the dismount zone, see our Bike Map

Downtown Dismount Zone#

See where in downtown bicycles are permitted to ride:

View dismount zone map