A Short History of SRTS in Fort Collins#
Photograph from 2010, in the early years of Fort Collins SRTS.
The City's SRTS program dates back to 2006, when Matt Wempe, a transportation planner in the Planning, Development and Transportation Division, applied for the City's first grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation. That grant funded a sidewalk improvement on West Mulberry Street adjacent to Dunn Elementary and started a ball rolling that has gained momentum ever since.
Today's robust SRTS program steadily grew under the direction of what is now the FC Moves department. The program was funded first by grants, then by the Keep Fort Collins Great initiative, and now by the City's general funds.
The first dedicated program manager, Nancy Nichols, started in a part-time position in fall 2011. Due to the program's popularity with local schools and Fort Collins residents, the program has grown to include two permanent staff: a full-time program manager and a 0.75-FTE operations manager.
Early educational programming was contracted out to Bicycle Colorado, with some involvement by the Fort Collins Bike Co-op. In 2012, Bike Fort Collins became the City's primary partner in educational and encouragement programming, continuing to this day.
Starting with a fleet of 16 bicycles in 2011, the program now includes 250 bicycles and bike-related devices, including adaptive equipment such as trailers and tagalongs. There is also a pedal-powered Magical School Bus, which up to eight kids and adults can ride together.
In addition to CDOT grant funding, SRTS has received financial assistance from UC Health, BNSF Railway, and the FoCo Fondo. All told, the program has received about $1.3 million in grants and donations, which has made it possible to grow the program to a point where 6,000 to 7,000 K-12 students participate in hands-on bicycle and pedestrian safety training each year and an estimated 27 percent of K-8 students regularly walk, bike, skateboard or scooter to school.
FoCo Fondo Benefits Youth Bike Programming#
Families ride through Riverbend Ponds on the 12-mile Foco Fondo route.
Another successful FoCo Fondo event saw 1,000 participants, about 70 of which rode the 12-mile family ride supported by SRTS instructors.
As always, the event was free for kids ages 5 to 12 and benefited the City’s SRTS program. A generous $5,000 donation from the event will go toward outfitting a new cargo trailer filled with bikes and other equipment suited for middle-schoolers and high-schoolers.
Thank you, Whitney and Zack Allison, for your continuing support of Safe Routes to School!
Where to Find Us in Fall 2022#
Kids of all ages and abilities participate in Safe Routes programming at local schools.
Schools slated for programming in fall 2022 include:
- Johnson Elementary
- Laurel Elementary
- Olander Elementary
- Shepardson Elementary
- Tavelli Elementary
- Mountain Sage Community School
- PSD Global Academy
- Blevins Middle School
- Boltz Middle School
- Kinard Middle School
- Lincoln Middle School
- Webber Middle School
- Fort Collins High School
- Fossil Ridge High School
- Rocky Mountain High School
We partner with Bike Fort Collins, Overland Mountain Bike Association, Safe Kids Larimer County, the CDOT Safe Routes to School program and other key organizations to provide this programming.
The Hampshire Bikeway is now complete with the construction of a signalized intersection at Drake and Hampshire. Now students from Blevins Middle School and Olander Elementary have a safe way to cross this major arterial street! Learn more about this project.
Video Resources for Learning at School and at Home
In response to school closures during the coronavirus pandemic, Safe Routes to School began developing educational videos for use during remote learning at school and at home. All of these resources are based on the City's SRTS curriculum.
Teachers are welcome to use the online resources to supplement scheduled visits by SRTS. And parents can watch these videos with their students anytime to help them learn traffic safety.
These online resources are provided in partnership with Bike Fort Collins and the City's active-modes engagement and education program.
FoCo Fondo Helps Get More Kids on Bikes
Once again, the FoCo Fondo gravel race and festival is helping Safe Routes to School via a $5,000 donation from the July 2021 event. This generous gift provides more kids with opportunities to experience the joy of bicycling through support for after-school bike clubs, free bike repairs, bike giveaways, and scholarships to summer bike camps.
Thank you, FoCo Fondo!
Scheels Supports Safe Routes to School
Bolstering the FoCo Fondo's donation from its 2021 event, Scheels also gave a generous $1,000 gift to help with youth-cycling programming in the Fort Collins area.
Thank you, Scheels, for your leadership in helping get more kids on bikes for fun, adventure, and health!
FoCo Fondo Helps Get More Kids on Bikes
Once again, the FoCo Fondo gravel race and festival is helping Safe Routes to School via a $5,000 donation from the July 2021 event. This generous gift provides more kids with opportunities to experience the joy of bicycling through support for after-school bike clubs, free bike repairs, bike giveaways, and scholarships to summer bike camps.
Thank you, FoCo Fondo!
Scheels Supports Safe Routes to School
Bolstering the FoCo Fondo's donation from its 2021 event, Scheels also gave a generous $1,000 gift to help with youth-cycling programming in the Fort Collins area.
Thank you, Scheels, for your leadership in helping get more kids on bikes for fun, adventure, and health!
Biking and Walking Scavenger Hunts#
Family Walk at Dixon Reservoir
Safe Routes is creating family-friendly scavenger hunts all around Fort Collins to promote healthy activity all year round. The scavenger hunts are suitable for kids and adults of all ages and feature our City's many beautiful trails, parks and natural areas.
SRTS Accomplishments in 2019#
Fourth-graders roll out for a bike field trip in fall 2019.
The SRTS program's accomplishments in 2019 included educating 6,400 kids and performing mechanical safety checks and adjustments on 3,400 kids' bikes. Another amazing statistic is the number of total miles ridden by kids during SRTS programming -- a whopping 41,000 miles, or 1.5 times around the globe! Click the "View the 2019 summary" link to learn how the program addressed all Six Es of Safe Routes to School (Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement, Evaluation and Equity).
Where to Find Safe Routes in Fall 2019#
Students practice bike-handling and traffic skills at Bauder Elementary.
Safe Routes to School is ready for the new school year, and we have lots of programming planned!
We'll be providing bike-ped safety education during PE classes at the following schools:
- Beattie Elementary
- Linton Elementary
- Zach Elementary
- Blevins Middle School
- Boltz Middle School
- Kinard Middle School
- Webber Middle School
- Fossil Ridge High School
- Rocky Mountain High School
We'll also be working with several schools on activities such as after-school biking and walking clubs and bike field trips. We will lead bike clubs at Riffenburgh Elementary, Shepardson Elementary, and Lincoln Middle School, as well as a walking club at Putnam Elementary. We will lead fourth- and fifth-grade bike field trips at Olander Elementary.
Once again, we're partnering with Bike Fort Collins, Overland Mountain Bike Association, the CDOT SRTS program and other key organizations to provide this programming.
Fort Collins Receives CDOT Funding for Bike-ped Crossing#
Students at Blevins Middle School and Olander Elementary will have a new location to cross Drake on their way to school.
The City's SRTS program has been awarded $495,851 in Colorado Department of Transportation grant funding to design and build a new crossing for bicyclists and pedestrians on the Hampshire Bikeway at Drake and Hampshire. This project is also an important component of the City's low-stress bike network for all residents to use. The projected completion date for this project is fall 2021.
National Bike to School Day and Bike Week in May#
Fourth-graders enjoy new CDOT grant-funded bicycles on their school's bike field trip.
National Bike to School Day is Wednesday, May 8, 2019, and some local schools will celebrate Bike Week May 6-10. Kids at thousands of schools across America will hop on bikes this week as part of a national campaign to get more kids biking and walking as part of their daily routine. At least 16 schools in Fort Collins will be participating in this event, with free breakfast, fun giveways and drawings for prizes. Check with your school to see what is planned.
New SRTS Video Highlights School Educational Programming#
SRTS teaches bike-ped safety to about 7,500 local students each year.
Learn how the City's SRTS program partners with Bike Fort Collins and other organizations to teach bicycle and pedestrian safety in local schools. SRTS programming takes place primarily during PE classes but also during after-school biking and walking clubs.
Where to Find Us in Spring 2019#
Students from Blevins Middle School enjoy a practice ride during PE.
Safe Routes to School is gearing up for the spring semester, and we have a ton of programming planned!
We'll be providing bike-ped safety education during PE classes at the following schools:
- Bauder Elementary
- Lopez Elementary
- McGraw Elementary
- Blevins Middle School
- Boltz Middle School
- Lincoln Middle School
- Preston Middle School
- Webber Middle School
- Fossil Ridge High School
We'll also be working with several schools on activities such as after-school biking and walking clubs and bike field trips. We plan to lead bike clubs at Irish Elementary, Riffenburgh Elementary, Shepardson Elementary, and Lincoln Middle School, as well as walking clubs at Bauder Elementary and Putnam Elementary.Check with your school principal, wellness team or PE teacher to see if we'll be at your school this semester!
Once again, we're partnering with Bike Fort Collins, Overland Mountain Bike Club, the CDOT SRTS program and other key organizations to provide this programming.
Thanks, FoCo Fondo!
Lincoln Middle School hosted an after-school bike club in fall 2018 led by an SRTS instructor from Bike Fort Collins and Lincoln teachers. This club, along with the Riffenburgh Elementary Rock Riders MTB club, was sponsored by the FoCo Fondo. A portion of the proceeds from the 2019 FoCo Fondo will again go toward after-school bike clubs and summer bike camps. So be sure to register, and help us get more kids on bikes!
October 10 Is International Walk to School Day#
Thousands of Fort Collins K-12 students will join students at thousands of schools across the nation and the world in celebrating the 22nd annual International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 10.
Check your school's website for information about events planned on International Walk to School Day.
If you are organizing activities for your school, please be sure to register your event on the national website.
School Rotation Schedule for Fall 2018#
Friends at Irish Elementary enjoy learning about bike safety together.
Once again, Safe Routes to School is gearing up for another school year, and we're looking forward to working with Bike Fort Collins, Overland Mountain Bike Club, the CDOT SRTS program and other key organizations to provide biking and walking programs at local schools. We'll be providing safety education during PE classes at the following schools:
- Johnson Elementary
- Tavelli Elementary
- Blevins Middle School
- Boltz Middle School
- Kinard Middle School
- Webber Middle School
We'll also be working with several schools on activities such as after-school biking and walking clubs and bike field trips. Check with your school principal, wellness team or PE teacher to see if we'll be at your school this school year!
Statistics from Winter/Spring 2018 (January-June)#
Students at Irish Elementary practice bike-handling skills during PE.
4,000 -- # of K-8 students educated about bike-ped safety by SRTS team
272 -- # of individual classes and events conducted by SRTS team
1,530 -- # of students' bikes checked for safety and adjusted by trained mechanics
286 -- # of parents and other volunteers who assisted SRTS instructors
784 -- # of hours spent by volunteers assisting SRTS instructors
14,000 -- # of total miles biked by K-8 students during SRTS educational programming
New Bike Clubs on Tap Thanks to FoCo Fondo Festival#
Riffenburgh Rock Riders explore Pine Ridge Open Space.
Thanks to the generosity of event organizers Zach and Whitney Allison and Jake Arnold of the FoCo Fondo Festival, SRTS will be able to lead new after-school bike clubs starting this fall. A portion of the proceeds of the FoCo Fondo Festival on Saturday, Aug. 4, will support the new bike clubs.
FoCo Fondo ride options include two family-specific rides (12 miles and 25 miles), with kids 12 and under riding free of charge. Parents accompanying their kids get 50% off with this coupon code when registering: 50%offparentreg.
The festival also includes longer-distance dirt-road options, up to 100 miles long, with prize money available.
Join us for a fabulous event on Aug. 4, starting and ending at New Belgium Brewery, with great food and drink and lots of bicycling fun!
Will Safe Routes Visit You This Spring?#
Safe Routes to School is gearing up for an eventful semester of bicycle and pedestrian safety education classes. Many schools will receive education in various ways, from classes during PE to after-school clubs and field trips. Check if your school is listed below and see which type of program will be hosted there.
Bike Field Trips:
Mountain Sage Community School and Shepardson Elementary
Bike-ped Education Program (School Rotation Schedule):
Irish, Laurel, O'Dea and Putnam elementary schools
Blevins, Boltz, Lincoln, Preston and Webber middle schools
Fossil Ridge High School
After-school Bike Clubs:
Irish, Laurel and Riffenburgh elementary schools and Lincoln Middle School
Other Events:
BaseCamp Family Fun Fair (Feb. 24)
Rocky Mountain High School Wellness Fair (March 1)
SRTS Train-the-Trainer Workshop (April 21). To register, visit engage.fcgov.com.
Bike Week (May 7-11) and National Bike to School Day (May 9)
If you would like assistance from Safe Routes to School for another type of biking or walking program, please contact us at saferoutes@fcgov.com.
Expansion Of School Rotation Schedule#
The SRTS equipment fleet includes 172 bikes, tagalongs and trailers for use by local kids.
Thanks to additional funding approved through the City's budgeting process for 2017-18, the SRTS School Rotation Schedule expanded in 2017 to reach all sixth-graders at PSD middle schools. All sixth-graders taking PE will be able to participate in the SRTS "Bike PE" curriculum, which teaches students how to bicycle safely and courteously on Fort Collins streets and multi-use trails. Successful pilot-testing of this plan was carried out in 2015-16 with support from a grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School Program.
SRTS Annual Summary for 2017#
Lesher Middle School and its Biking Vikings earned the distinction of gold-level Bicycle Friendly Business in 2017.
The SRTS program achieved many significant accomplishments in 2017, including full implementation of the School Rotation Schedule. Click the "View summary" link to learn how the program addressed all Six Es of Safe Routes to School in 2017 (Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement, Evaluation and Equity). Read about Lesher Middle School here.
SRTS Annual Summary For 2016#
In 2016, the Safe Routes program taught bicycle and pedestrian safety to more than 6,000 students at 30 local schools, led numerous after-school walking and biking clubs, partnered with the Recreation Department to provide summer bike camps, finished construction of the new Tavelli Multi-use Path, completed pilot-testing of the School Rotation Schedule, and so much more.
SRTS Annual Summary For 2015#
View our new infographic summary for calendar year 2015. It was an outstanding year that included programming at 24 local schools, bike-ped education for 8,000 K-12 students, an expanded SRTS bike fleet, bike-ped infrastructure improvements via the SRTS Strategic Traffic Infrastructure Project and much more!
Fort Collins In Spotlight At SRTS National Conference#
The City's SRTS coordinator, Nancy Nichols, presented on "Equity in Safe Routes to School Educational Programming" at the Safe Routes to School National Conference in early April 2016. Her co-presenter was Dot Dickerson of Bike Fort Collins, a nonprofit contractor that delivers the SRTS School Rotation Schedule to all public schools in Fort Collins. Three cornerstones of equity in local SRTS programming are "Saturation" (making sure students from all public schools participate), "Empowerment" (including students of all ages and abilities through adaptive equipment and methods) and "Meeting Kids Where They Are" (taking SRTS to places that are convenient and fun for kids and families). For information on the conference, visit saferoutesconference.org. For other details, please email Nancy at nnichols@fcgov.com