FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:   Brian Rantala
             InterMountain
             303-534-5409

      FORT COLLINS, Colo., (February 26, 2001) - The Northern Colorado Truck Mobility/SH 14 Relocation Study team has determined that approximately 550-625 "through" truck trips could be relocated from the current SH 14/US 287 route through Fort Collins, according to results generated from the team's recently completed Truck Origin and Destination Study.
      The origin and destination study was conducted to determine the total number of "through" truck trips, or trucks that travel through the Fort Collins survey area without stopping for business purposes. Approximately 20-25 percent of northwest-bound and 25-30 percent of southeast-bound truck trips were found to be through trips. These through truck trips are considered candidates for relocation to alternate routes or the interstate system.
      "The data collected in this study is vitally important for determining developments for future truck route decisions," said Mark Jackson, City of Fort Collins project manager. "Although no decisions have been made, the data presented in this report marks a key step in a collaborative effort to find solutions that abide by the guidelines set forth by the November 1999 ballot initiative."
      To reach the conclusions found in the report, the study team comprised of engineering firms PBS&J and Carter & Burgess collected two types of data. The first data collection effort categorized truck trips on SH 14/US 287, while the second collection effort categorized the types of trucks along the corridor to determine overall truck traffic volumes.
      The first data collection effort captured daytime license plate information and nighttime truck characteristics at six locations along the SH 14/US 287 survey area. The license plate and characteristics data was entered into a computer-matching program that monitored the trucks' progress through the study area. Truck trips that took less than 45 minutes to pass from the SH 14 & I-25 checkpoint to the US 287 checkpoint north of Owl Canyon Road were considered to be through trips.
      The second study collected vehicle classification data over a five-day period at seven locations to determine the types of vehicles at the various locations. Trucks were classified and separated from other vehicles surveyed to determine overall vehicle and truck volumes through the survey area.
      For more information on the Northern Colorado Truck Mobility/SH 14 Relocation, please access the project Web site at www.sh14truckingstudy.com.