HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 8/3/2021 - Memorandum From John Feyen Re: Old Town Traffic Safety Efforts And ResultsFort Collins Police Services
2221 S. Timberline Road
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6540
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MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor & City Councilmembers
Thru: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Swoboda, Chief of Police
From: John J. Feyen, Assistant Chief, Special Operations Division
Date: July 28, 2021
Re: Old Town Traffic Safety Efforts and Results
Purpose
This memorandum is in response to Council’s questions following the July 20, 2021,
Council meeting. Council asked for information on the efforts to curtail poor driving
behavior in the Old Town District, including the results of such efforts.
Discussion
Concern over poor driving behavior along College Avenue, but specifically in the Old
Town area has been the subject of several complaints from citizens and businesses.
These behaviors typically occur on Friday and Saturday evenings and present a safety
concern and decrease the enjoyment of outdoor dining venues.
Police Services created a multi-week, multi-phase plan to address these concerning
behaviors. Phase 1 involved contacting drivers congregating in parking lots along
South College businesses, as well as drivers seen exhibiting poor driving, and having
conversations with them about the behavior. During these conversations we informed
them we would be writing citations for the behaviors in the future. This “Engage and
Educate” phase took place on July 2nd, 3rd, 9th, and 10th.
Phase 2 was a limited and focused traffic interdiction plan. Additional officers were
brought in to address the poor driving in the Old Town area, roughly Prospect Road to
Vine Drive. This effort ran on July 16th, 17th, 23rd, and 24th, from 9:00 p.m. until midnight
on each night. A detailed breakdown of the citations written follows.
7/16/2021 7/17/2021 7/23/2021 7/24/2021
Engaging in a speed contest 2 1 1
Exhibition of Speed/Acceleration 8 2
Exhibition of Speed 1 9 5
Speeding 5 to 9 over 4 4 1
Speeding 10 to 19 over 3 4 1
Careless Driving 1 1
Prohibited Exhibition of Exhaust 1 1
Red Light Violation 2 1 1
Modified Exhaust 4 2 1 2
Expired Plates 1 1
Minor Operated a Vehicle 1
No Seatbelts 1
Failed to signal lane change 1
Expired plates 4
U-turn Prohibited 5
Disregarding a traffic control
device
1 1
Unsafe lane change 2
Reckless Driving 1
DUI/DUID 2
The final phase of this project will happen over the first 3 weekends in August. This
phase will continue to concentrate on poor driving behavior, but it will expand to the
South College Avenue corridor to address trespassing in business parking lots.
Conclusion
In addressing College Avenue traffic safety and business trespasses, we utilize a three-
pronged approach of engagement, education, and eventually enforcement. The
behaviors associated with the trespassing and the poor driving decisions present a
safety concern to our community, decrease others enjoyment of the night life
opportunities in Old Town, and are contrary to our goal of making Fort Collins the safest
city in the country. Our ongoing efforts are focused on decreasing poor behaviors and
increasing safety.