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City of Fort Collins
 

West Elizabeth Corridor

West Elizabeth Corridor

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West Elizabeth Bus Rapid Transit Design Project (2023-2025)#

West Elizabeth Streetscape

West Elizabeth Street is a major east-west arterial in Fort Collins that connects Colorado State University’s Main and Foothills campuses along a dense corridor of housing, restaurants, and retail. 

In order to continue connecting those areas safely and efficiently, Transfort has launched plans to add Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along the corridor. 

BRT systems typically offer frequent trips on a fixed bus route. MAX service along the Mason Corridor in Fort Collins, which opened in 2014, is a local example of BRT service. The BRT along West Elizabeth will share a lane with vehicle traffic. 

Project Area Map

This map shows the project area, from Mason Street and the CSU campus to Overland Trail via West Plum Street and West Elizabeth Street.

About the project#

The West Elizabeth Corridor was chosen as a future BRT route due to its function as a critical three-mile link for students accessing Colorado State University's Main and Foothills campuses, and as a growing business and multi-family housing district. 

More than 24,000 residents and 20,000 jobs are along the West Elizabeth corridor. This project's design will incorporate infrastructure supporting all modes including transit, bicycling, walking, and driving. 

Here's the project's timeline:

Public engagement
2016
30% of design complete
2022
100% of design complete
2025

The current design work will build onto the West Elizabeth Enhanced Travel Corridor Plan, which was adopted with extensive community engagement in 2016. The 30% design process was completed in 2022.  

What’s happening now?#

In summer 2023 the City of Fort Collins and Colorado State University (CSU) kicked off the final design project for BRT service along the West Elizabeth Street corridor. The design should be 100% complete in 2025.

This stage's work includes:

  • Development of a project management plan
  • Environmental clearances and mitigation
  • Public outreach
  • Vehicle procurement
  • Construction bid documents and construction plans, including:
    • Multi-modal roadway design
    • Structural plans
    • Drainage and water quality
    • Erosion control
    • Floodplain analysis
    • Utilities
    • Lighting/power
    • Traffic impact study
    • Landscaping
    • Environmental mitigation
    • Transit stops
    • Communications systems

These steps are necessary to advance the West Elizabeth project forward for possible Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding and future implementation. 

FAQs#

Why BRT?#

BRT was chosen as an ideal transit option for this corridor due to the high transit ridership and density along the corridor. 

As the first operator of BRT in the state of Colorado, the City seeks to build on the success of MAX and the extensive experience gained through all phases of that project. In addition to the West Elizabeth BRT, the City is also beginning early work on plans for an extension of existing MAX service along North College Avenue.

How is this project being funded?#

This project's total cost is currently estimated at $112 million. Funding sources have not been finalized.

This estimated budget includes:

  • Transit construction
  • Intersection construction
  • Roadway construction
  • Pedestrian infrastructure
  • Bicycling infrastructure
  • Roundabout construction
  • Transit center construction
  • Six electric buses 

Reference: West Elizabeth 30% Design (2022)#

A mock design of the intersection of West Elizabeth and Skyline Drive

A mock design of the intersection of West Elizabeth and Overland Trail

A mock design of the intersection of West Elizabeth and Skyline Drive

A mock design of the intersection of West Elizabeth and Skyline Drive

A mock design of the intersection of West Elizabeth and City Park Drive

A mock design of the intersection of West Elizabeth and City Park Drive

The project included preliminary engineering along the 3-mile corridor and support for Transfort to enter into, and through, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Small Starts program. Corridor design focused on the integration and connectivity of transit, cycling, and walking to improve mobility and safety. This process was completed in 2022. 

Reference: West Elizabeth Improvements (2020)#

Improving West Elizabeth Street between Taft Hill and City Park#

Project Overview

The City of Fort Collins through the Streets Maintenance Program (SMP) implemented improvements along West Elizabeth Street between Taft Hill Road and City Park Avenue, as recommended in the 2016 West Elizabeth Enhanced Travel Corridor (ETC) Plan.

The project addressed safety concerns and improved conditions for corridor users, especially bicyclists and pedestrians, by:

  • Restriping Elizabeth from four to three lanes of traffic through the entire project area, adding buffered bike lanes and crossing improvements. The lower traffic volumes along this section of W. Elizabeth St. allow for one travel lane in each direction, while the center turn lane provides for safer and more convenient left turns to residential driveways and local streets. Space gained from the reduction in lanes were designed to increase the buffer between the sidewalk and travel lanes and increase bicycle mobility, which at the time of this project totaled 2,000 bikes per day.
  • Adding flashing beacon pedestrian crossings at the Woodbridge Senior Apartments and at Skyline Drive.
A rendering of the West Elizabeth Improvements.

Reference: West Elizabeth Plan Documents (2016)#

The West Elizabeth ETC Plan was adopted by City Council in October 2016. The City has started the 30% design process in 2021. The West Elizabeth ETC plan is below.

NOTE: The entire plan is a large document (95MB) and will take some time to download. For convenience, the various sections of the plan have been broken out below so they can be viewed individually.

Entire Plan and all Appendices (93.5MB)

Questions?#

Contact Melina Dempsey, Senior Transportation Planner, at mdempsey@fcgov.com or Spencer Smith, Civil Engineering Manager, at smsmith@fcgov.com.