HomeMy WebLinkAbout057 - 04/18/2023 - REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 030, 2023, AND ADOPTING THE NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT PLAN AS A COMPONENT OF CITORDINANCE NO.057,2023
OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS,COLORADO
REPEALING ORDINANCE NO.30,2023,AND ADOPTING THE
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT PLAN AS A COMPONENT OF CITY PLAN
WHEREAS,the development of Bus Rapid Transit on North College Avenue was
identified as a goal in the 2019 Transit Master Plan and has been requested by the North College
Avenue area businesses and the residential community for many years;and
WHEREAS,the North College MAX BRT Plan provides recommendations for Bus Rapid
Transit,local transit routes,bicycle and pedestrian facilities,future development,and affordability;
and
WHEREAS,the North College MAX BRT Plan was developed after extensive public
outreach,discussion and consideration of community needs and priorities and is the result of
approximately eighteen months of community engagement,information analysis,and concept
refinement;and
WHEREAS,Our Climate Future sets a goal of 8O~o reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
by 2030 and identifies expansion of public transit and bicycle facilities as “big moves”needed to
achieve these goals;and
WHEREAS,Routes 8 and 81,which serve the North College Avenue corridor,are the
fastest growing bus transportation routes in the Transfort system;and
WHEREAS,the North College MAX BRT Plan’s expansion of transit services to North
College is consistent with the City’s climate and equity goals;and
WHEREAS,the North College MAX BRT Plan has been the subject of extensive public
outreach and stakeholder presentations and have received the favorable recommendations of the
Planning and Zoning Commission and the Transportation Board;and
WHEREAS,the purpose of the North College MAX BRT Plan is to guide transportation
infrastructure improvements and new development,to plan and provide steps for implementation
for increased transit investment,to build upon City-wide efforts to preserve affordability for
residents and local businesses,and to contribute to other efforts in the North College Avenue area
to help strengthen its unique local character and sense of place;and
WHEREAS,the City Council adopted Ordinance No.30,2023 (“Ordinance No.30”)to
adopt the North College MAX BRT Plan as a component of the City Plan,but Ordinance No.30
was not published after adoption as required by the City Charter;and
WHEREAS,it is necessary that the City Council repeal Ordinance No.30 and adopt this
Ordinance to adopt the North College MAX BRT Plan as a component of the City Plan;and
WHEREAS,the City Council has determined that it is in the best interests of the residents
of the City of Fort Collins to adopt formally the North College MAX BRT Plan.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows:
Section 1.That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2.That the City Council hereby adopts the North College MAX BRT Plan
attached hereto as Exhibit “A”as a component of City Plan,the City’s comprehensive plan.
Section 3.Ordinance No.030,2023,is hereby repealed.
Introduced,considered favorably on first reading,and ordered published this 4th day of
April,2023,and to be presented for final passage on the 18th •ay of April,2 3.
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Passed and adopted
City Clerk
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT A
North College MAX BRT
Final Plan Report
February2023
EXHIBIT A
PREPARED FOR
CONSULTANT TEAM
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT
SECTION 01
INTRODUCTION 01
SECTION 05
39URBAN DESIGN & LAND USE
SECTION 02
VISION, PURPOSE, & NEED 09
SECTION 06
53STRATEGIES FOR PRESERVING & INCREASING AFFORDABILITY
SECTION 03
PLAN DEVELOPMENT 13
SECTION 07
61SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS & TRACKING PERFORMANCE
SECTION 04
TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS 19
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A:
Public Engagement Summaries
APPENDIX B:
Existing Conditions Report
APPENDIX C:
Alternatives Analysis Report
APPENDIX D:
North College Roadway Design Cutsheets
APPENDIX E:
Conceptual Estimate of Project Cost for North
College Reconstruction
Table of Contents
SECTION A
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I
EXHIBIT A
I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ExecutiveSummary
The North College MAX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Plan makes
recommendations for the future of transportation and land use
on North College Avenue, from approximately Willow Street
to Terry Lake Road. MAX BRT on North College Avenue is an
important project to emerge from the city’s Transit Master Plan
and is consistent with City Council Priorities and Strategic Plan
objectives, Our Climate Future, and the city’s equity goals.
The future vision for the corridor is that it will:
Include a safe,
comfortable, and
convenient transportation
network for people taking
transit, using active
modes, and driving.
Provide ample services,
places to live, employment
opportunities, and
spaces for recreation.
Be a gateway into the
City of Fort Collins.
Grow in a way that protects
the natural environment
and the local community.
Stay affordable for
residents and local
businesses.
Display its own unique
local character.
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT II
The project’s three phases of community engagement each
involved 300-500 individuals to shape this plan. Additionally, the
project team completed a robust technical process including
existing conditions analysis, alternatives evaluation, and final
recommendations. This plan’s recommendations are supported
both technically and by the community because of this process.
The key elements of MAX BRT on North College Avenue are BRT
service with Business Access Transit (BAT) lanes, MAX stops and
stations, and shared use paths for people walking and biking. Transit
Oriented Development (TOD) urban design and land use strategies
will increase the area’s population and employment. Lastly, a
host of strategies will help preserve and increase affordability
in the North College area as the area grows. Transportation and
land use change in the area will happen over time. The plan’s
most significant cost, the construction of BRT on North College
Avenue, is estimated to cost $22 million in 2022 dollars.
EXHIBIT A
III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The plan development process included robust
community involvement and technical analyses,
both of which occurred across three phases.
Figure I: Plan Development Process
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT IV
EXHIBIT A
V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
NEAR-TERM NEAR-TERM
RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS
Figure II: Near-term Recommendations Map
NEAR-TERM
RECOMMENDATIONS
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT VI
Near-term Plan Recommendations Summary
Near-term investments will cost approximately $3 million in capital costs and
$750,000 per year in operating costs for microtransit service.
• Create a new high frequency bus route on North College Avenue in the
existing general purpose travel lanes at 15-minute frequency
• Consolidate existing local bus stops on North College Avenue at signalized intersections
• Realign route 8 to serve Blue Spruce Drive, Redwood Street, and Linden Street at 30-minute frequency
• Implement a micro-transit zone in the North College area to serve places not well-served by fixed-route transit
• Construct access infrastructure for people walking and biking, including segments of shared use path north of
Hibdon Court, new signals on North College Avenue, interim protected bike lanes on North College Avenue, and
improved bikeways, walkways, and crossings along streets parallel and connecting to North College Avenue
• As development and redevelopment occur, construct access infrastructure for
people walking and bikign along Mason Street and Red Cedar Circle
• Adopt amendments to the Mason Street realignment identified in the Master Streets Plan
• Implement Transit Oriented Development (TOD) strategies including a TOD overlay; change setback
and height standards; establish connectivity, outdoor space, and dominant block face requirements;
adjust Architectural Standards; and create incentives to preserve existing commercial buildings
• Implement strategies to preserve and increase affordability, including applying the Urban Renewal Authority’s
tools, requiring considerable public benefits from metro districts, rezoning the North College Mobile Home
Park, leveraging the city’s land bank, and establishing an affordable housing goal for the area
Table I: Near-term Recommendations Summary
Figure III: Interim Protected Bike Lane Cross-section
EXHIBIT A
VII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MID-TERM MID-TERM
RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS
MID-TERM
RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure IV: Mid-term Recommendations Map
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT VIII
Mid-term Plan Recommendations Summary
Mid-term transit investments will cost approximately $22 million. Multiple conditions could create the conditions for the
mid-term transit investments. The purposes for a phased approach with conditions are to effectively allocate scarce city
resources and to postpone construction impacts to property owners who endured construction just seven years ago.
Conditions are: corridor ridership approaches 1,000 boardings per day; intersection approaches
(e.g., northbound approach, southbound approach) on North College Avenue experience level of service
F conditions; corridor population and employment approximately doubles from current levels, or major
rehabilitation maintenance of the corridor creates an opportunity to “one-build” the project.
• Construct Business Access Transit (BAT) lanes, MAX stations with mobility hubs,
and complete shared-use paths on North College Avenue
• Acquire property for and construct a bus turn-around north of Terry Lake Road
• Increase bus frequency (15-minutes on North College Avenue and 15-minutes on Route 8) and service hours
• Create a mobility hub near the Willox Lane roundabout in conjunction with redevelopment of the former Albertson’s
• Construct medians south of Conifer Street
• Provide regional stormwater detention
• New regional transit to Wellington
Figure VI: North College Avenue Cross-section at Poudre River Bridge
Figure V: Typical North College Avenue BAT Lane Cross-section
Typical
*At signalized intersections, turn lanes will replace the median.
Table II: Mid-term Recommendations Summary
Bridge Over the Poudre River
EXHIBIT A
IX EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LONG-TERM LONG-TERM
RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS
LONG-TERM
RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure VII: Long-term Recommendations Map
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT X
Long-term Plan Recommendations Summary
Long-term interlining is estimate to cost an additional $750,000 per year in operating costs.
Long-term interlining of MAX on North College Avenue with MAX on Mason Street could be
triggered if North College Avenue ridership approaches 1,500 boardings per day.
• Increase MAX frequency to 10-minutes and evaluate feasibility of interlining
MAX on North College Avenue with MAX on Mason Street
Table III: Long-term Recommendations Summary
EXHIBIT A
01 SECTION 02: VISION, PURPOSE, & NEED01 SECTION 01: INTRODUCTION EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 02
Introduction
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 02
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
EXHIBIT A
03 SECTION 01: INTRODUCTION
This report includes the final recommendations
for the future of North College Avenue and
the commercial areas and neighborhoods
surrounding it. The process for the North
College MAX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Plan
began in February of 2021. This process
included three separate phases of community
engagement, an existing conditions
assessment, and an evaluation of different
transportation and land use alternatives.
The final recommendations for the North
College area presented in this report were
developed from community members input
received and the technical analysis conducted.
This report summarizes the process that led
to these recommendations and presents
the final transportation, development, and
funding recommendations. Additionally this
plan includes potential phasing and funding
sources for all recommendations.
WHY THE NORTH
COLLEGE MAX BRT
PLAN?
MAX BRT on North College Avenue was
chosen as a priority because of the growth
and development in north Fort Collins
that is occurring today and anticipated to
continue for the foreseeable future. This
additional growth of residents and workers
will require improvements to the multi-modal
transportation network in order to maintain
efficiency of transportation in the area and
shift more people to active modes, including
walking, biking, and e-scooters, and public
transportation modes when possible. In
addition, the city has an opportunity now
to help guide new development in the
area to better serve community goals like
preserving and increasing affordable housing
and commercial space, support multi-modal
transportation, provide services that support
the local community, and increase open
space. Furthermore, North College Avenue
is a priority for increased transit investments
because routes 8 and 81 (which loop through
the North College area) are currently some of
the most used transit routes in the city.
Equity considerations are a priority when
planning in the North College area given the
area’s high concentration of social service
providers, low-income residents, and Spanish
speaking populations.
The North College MAX BRT Plan was
prioritized for completion over other transit
corridors in the city because it presents an
opportunity to plan ahead for anticipated
growth in north Fort Collins while also
addressing existing equity concerns by
identifying needed improvements to the multi-
modal transportation networks, existing land
use policies, and funding and incentives for
implementation of these improvements.
The MAX BRT Plan builds on previous planning
efforts like the Transit Master Plan and aims to
contribute to many of the city’s goals including
elements of the Council’s strategic objectives,
the city’s climate action goals, and the city’s
commitment to improving equitable processes
and outcomes across the city.
MAX BRT on
North College
was chosen
as a priority
to support our
commitment
to equity and
climate action
and because
the area
is growing
in terms of
population,
employment,
and transit
ridership.
Introduction
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 04
Figure 1: 2019 Transit Master Plan Future Transit Network
EXHIBIT A
05 SECTION 01: INTRODUCTION
TRANSIT MASTER PLAN
The North College MAX BRT was
identified as part of the future transit
network in the Fort Collins Transit Master
Plan (2019). As part of the North College
MAX BRT the proposed MAX station
adjacent to the King Soopers at 1842
North College Avenue was identified
as a future transit center and mobility
hub with a park-and-ride. The transit
recommendations in this plan are similar
to those presented in the Transit Master
Plan with some adjustments made based
on community input and alternatives
evaluation findings. Figure 1 displays the
future transit network from the 2019 plan.
The North College MAX route completes
the north-south MAX corridor through
Fort Collins, creating a spine of rapid
transit traversing the city. North College
Avenue is a high priority in the city, after
West Elizabeth Street which has the city’s
highest ridership outside of the MAX
corridor, and above Harmony Road which
has lower ridership and less transit-
supportive urban form.
The Transit Master Plan also outlines the
relationship between land use density
and viability of different transit solutions
(see Figure 2). In general, areas with
higher densities of residents and jobs
generate higher demand for transit
ridership which requires greater capital
investment in transit and more frequent
transit service. This concept is key to this
study and provided a foundation for the
analysis of existing and projected land
use development in the North College
area and how improvements to the
area’s land use policies could support a
future MAX BRT route on North College
Avenue. Today, the North College
Avenue area’s density is in the range of
Mixed Neighborhoods.
Figure 2: 2019 Transit Master Plan - Land-use Densities and Supported Transit Service
North College Current Conditions
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 06
Neighborhood Livability & Social Health
• 1.1: Increase housing supply and choice and address
inequities in housing to ensure that everyone
has healthy, stable housing they can afford.
• 1.6: Transform regulations and revise procedures
to increase clarity and predictability to ensure new
development advances adopted City plans and policies.
• 1.8: Preserve and enhance mobile home parks as a source
of affordable housing and create a safe and equitable
environment for residents.
Culture & Recreation
• 2.5: Ensure safety and access to and within City parks,
natural areas, paved trails, and cultural and recreation
facilities for visitors and employees.
Economic Health
• 3.1: Collaborate with local and regional partners to
achieve economic resilience in Northern Colorado.
• 3.3: Support local businesses by engaging in opportunities
for business revival with a focus on the Recovery Plan.
Environmental Health
• 4.1: Intensify efforts to meet 2030 climate, energy and
100% renewable electricity goals that are centered
in equity and improve community resilience
• 4.2: Improve indoor and outdoor air quality.
Safe Community
• 5.1: Improve overall community safety while
continuing to increase the level of public trust
and willingness to use emergency services.
• 5.5: Provide and maintain reliable utility services and
infrastructure that directly preserve and improve public
health and community safety.
Transportation & Mobility
• 6.1: Improve safety for all modes and users of
the transportation system to ultimately achieve a
system with no fatalities or serious injuries.
• 6.2: Support an efficient, reliable transportation system
for all modes of travel, enhance high-priority intersection
operations, and reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT).
• 6.3: Invest in equitable access to, and
expansion of, all sustainable modes of travel
with emphasis on growing transit ridership.
• 6.4: Support and invest in regional transportation
connections.
High Performing Government
• 7.3: Engage the community more effectively with enhanced
inclusion of diverse identities, languages and needs.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES & STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES
This plan also aims to address City Council’s priorities and help work towards the strategic
outcomes listed in the Council’s 2022 Strategic Plan. Below is a list of the strategic outcomes
most relevant to the recommendations put forth in this plan:
EXHIBIT A
07 SECTION 01: INTRODUCTION
The recommendations in the North College MAX BRT Plan are
most relevant to the City’s goal of reducing 2030 greenhouse
gas emissions by 80% below 2005 baseline levels.
80%
CLIMATE GOALS
The recommendations in this plan were also developed in
an effort to help contribute to the City’s climate action goals
as described in Fort Collins’ Our Climate Future Plan. The
recommendations in the North College MAX BRT Plan are
most relevant to the City’s goal of reducing 2030 greenhouse
gas emissions by 80% below 2005 baseline levels. Our
Climate Future includes a Big Move to provide convenient
transportation choices, including expanding local and
regional public transit, continuing to build bicycle facilities,
and creating mobility hubs. Additionally, Our Climate Future
also includes a Big Move with moves related to increasing
the density and mix of land uses. The North College MAX
BRT Plan’s recommendations include transportation and land
use improvements that aim to make it easier, more efficient,
and more comfortable to use transit and active transportation
modes. Shifting more trips to, from, and within the North
College area to transit and active transportation modes will
reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled and therefore
the greenhouse gas emissions created by ground travel.
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 08
EQUITY
Improving equity is a core priority for the City and was a
guiding principal for the process and recommendations for this
plan. The public engagement process of this plan integrated
equity through outreach to historically underrepresented
populations, like people who primarily speak Spanish, mobile
home community residents, service industry workers, and
patrons of the area’s social service providers. Several social
service providers are located in the North College area,
including Salud Medical Clinic, Larimer County Department
of Human Services, Food Bank For Larimer County,
Murphy Center for Hope, Catholic Charities of Larimer
County, and The Family Center La Familia. In an effort to make
the process more accessible to a wide range of people, a
diversity of outreach opportunities were presented throughout
the project including online engagement, in-person workshops,
and virtual meetings. The Fort Collins Community Connectors
handed out flyers to area businesses and went door-to-door
to collect community member feedback in neighborhoods
with high numbers of underrepresented groups.
In addition to the outreach process, improving equitable
outcomes was a key consideration throughout this project’s
recommendation development and technical analysis. The
equity considerations that were considered for different
recommendations are included in the more detailed
discussions of study recommendations later in this report.
Median Household Income Hispanic Population
EXHIBIT A
09 SECTION 02: VISION, PURPOSE, & NEED EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 10 NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 10
Vision, Purpose,
& Need
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
EXHIBIT A
11 SECTION 02: VISION, PURPOSE, & NEED
The vision, purpose, and need statements
below were created using the public input
collected and existing conditions analysis
conducted in previous phases of this project.
The vision statement describes the ideal of
how the study area should look and function
once all of the plan recommendations have
been implemented. The project purpose
outlines this specific plan’s role in achieving
the vision statements. The statement of need
summarizes the common themes of existing
challenges in the study area.
VISION STATEMENT
The vision for North College Avenue is for a
safe, accessible, attractive, and affordable
corridor for people who live, work, and visit the
North College area. North College Avenue will
be a gateway and hub for local and regional
transit connections that link people to essential
services, recreation, and entertainment.
The corridor will connect to a comfortable and
convenient network for people using active
modes made up of sidewalks, share-use paths,
and bike lanes.
Transit stations will be focal points for new,
multi-story development that de-emphasizes
surface parking. Corridor development will
bring upgrades to infrastructure, improve
public space, and fill in existing vacant land
and buildings. New development will occur in
a way that protects the natural environment
and preserves affordability and diversity
of residents, local businesses, and service
providers. North College Avenue will become
a district and destination with its own distinct
character that is driven by residents, workers,
and local business owners. The corridor will
be a safe and comfortable corridor to travel
through and a destination for people of all
socio-economic statuses, ages, and abilities.
The corridor will:
The vision for
North College
Avenue is
for a safe,
accessible,
and affordable
corridor for
people who
live, work, and
visit the North
College area.
Vision, Purpose,
& Need
Include a safe,
comfortable, and
convenient transportation
network for people taking
transit, using active
modes, and driving.
Provide ample services,
places to live, employment
opportunities, and
spaces for recreation.
Be a gateway into the
City of Fort Collins.
Grow in a way that protects
the natural environment
and the local community.
Stay affordable for
residents and local
businesses.
Display its own unique
local character.
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 12
PROJECT PURPOSE
The purpose of the North College MAX Plan is to guide future
transit investments and help align policies with those future
transit investments.
This plan will provide a roadmap for the City of Fort Collins
to make improvements to transportation infrastructure and
transit service in the North College area. Additionally, this plan
provides recommendations to guide new development in a
direction that preserves affordability for residents and local
businesses, is supportive of transit and other active modes of
transportation and promotes needed services and open space to
the surrounding community. In summary, this plan’s purpose is to:
• Guide transportation infrastructure improvements and
new development in a way that allows North College
Avenue to continue its evolution as the northern entryway
to the city with a positive community look and feel.
• Plan and provide steps for implementation for increased
transit investment and a multi-modal transportation
network in the North College area that is safe, comfortable
and convenient for people of all ages and abilities.
• Build upon citywide efforts to preserve affordability for
residents and local businesses and recommend appropriate
strategies for the North College area in particular.
• Guide new development to provide affordable housing,
essential services, and open space in the area.
• Contribute to numerous other efforts in the North
College area to strengthen its unique local character
and sense of place.
STATEMENT OF NEED
From analyses of community Input (Appendix A) and existing
conditions (Appendix B) the following five statements of need
for the North College area were developed:
• Incomplete multi-modal transportation network that makes
it challenging to comfortably get to, from, and around the
North College area by modes other than driving. Additionally,
the current network creates many areas of conflict between
people driving and people using active modes which
impacts efficiency and feelings of safety, especially for
vulnerable, active mode users. Additionally, community
members expressed that the existing transportation network
could be improved to better protect the natural environment.
• Need for increased investment in transit service in the
North College area. Community members expressed a
desire for more frequent and efficient transit service on
North College Avenue and the surrounding area with more
investments in bus stops, future MAX stations, and security
to make them feel safer and more comfortable. Community
members also expressed the importance of preserving the
existing transit connections to the Poudre Valley Mobile
Home Park and social services on Blue Spruce Drive.
• Lack of comfortable places to walk and bike in the North
College area due to missing or uncomfortable infrastructure,
infrequent controlled crossings of roadways (particularly
across North College Avenue), and the frequency of
driveways that intersect the bike lane and sidewalk on North
College Avenue.
• Desire for redevelopment of vacant properties to provide
new homes, services, and enough travel demand for high-
frequency transit.
• Increasing costs of buying or renting property for both
residents and local businesses, which is making it hard to
stay in the North College area and Fort Collins at large,
especially for underrepresented populations including
people with lower incomes and Hispanic residents.
EXHIBIT A
13 SECTION 03: PLAN DEVELOPMENT EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 14
Plan
Development
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 14
EXHIBIT A
15 SECTION 03: PLAN DEVELOPMENT
This plan details the final recommendations for the future of
transportation and related land use improvements In the North College
area. These recommendations were developed and refined through
an extensive public outreach process and technical analysis. These
processes are summarized in Figure 3 and more details about each can
be found in their respective appendices at the end of this report.
Plan Development
Figure 3: Plan
Development Process
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 16
The plan was developed across three separate phases of community engagement and technical
analyses. The team implemented an equity-forward community engagement process given the
proportion of under-served populations in the North College area. Specifically, community
members, community-based organizations, and representatives of the area’s social service
providers all participated in the community engagement process. Given the high proportion of
Hispanic residents, the team conducted outreach in all phases in both English and Spanish,
including door-to-door outreach in the area’s mobile home parks. Lastly, recognizing the
value of peoples’ time, compensation was provided to participants of workshops in the
form of $50 grocery gift cards. Figure 4 summarizes the number of people engaged
through different mediums through the community engagement process.
To see more details about each phase of outreach and the results
of those efforts see Appendix A of this plan. To see more about the
technical analysis, see Appendix B which includes the Existing Conditions
Report and Appendix C which includes the Alternatives Analysis Report.
Figure 4: Outreach Summary
EXHIBIT A
17 SECTION 03: PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Figure 5: Active Projects in the North College Area
The North College MAX BRT Plan was developed to be
consistent with other projects in the area, as shown in Figure 5.
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 18 NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 18
EXHIBIT A
19 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONSEXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 20
Transportation Plan Recommendations
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 20
EXHIBIT A
21 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
Transportation Plan Recommendations
The long-term design for North College
Avenue can be seen in Figure 6 and Figure
7. Plan view cut sheets of the entire corridor
can be seen in Appendix D. The roadway
design includes Business Access Transit (BAT)
lanes and sidewalks widened into shared-
use paths for people walking and biking.
BUSINESS ACCESS TRANSIT LANES
Business Access Transit (BAT) lanes are a key
element of the preferred cross-section. BAT
lanes are lanes in which buses travel and
vehicles can use only for making right turns at
intersections or turning into existing driveways
midblock. The recommended BAT lanes can
be accommodated in the existing curb-to-curb
width of the street if the existing median width
is reduced,typically one to five feet of median
narrowing is necessary.
SHARED-USE PATHS
The construction of BAT lanes does not allow
enough width for on-street bicycle lanes.
However, community input indicated that
higher comfort bicycle infrastructure (like an
off-street path) is preferred on North College
Avenue over on-street bike lanes due to the
volume and speed of vehicles. Instead of bike
lanes, a shared-use path (10- to 12-feet wide,
which requires acquiring up to two feet of
right-of-way on each side) is recommended
along the length of the corridor to provide a
high-comfort facility for people using active
modes. In many areas the shared-use path
cannot be accommodated in existing right-
of-way. Therefore it is recommended that
in areas without sufficient right-of-way, the
existing sidewalk be widened behind the
back of walk to allow for both a shared-use
path and the existing width of landscaped
buffer. This also will minimize disturbance
to established street trees that are already
on the corridor. Implementation of this cross
section will require acquisition or easement
for additional right-of-way at certain locations
on the corridor (see Appendix D).
Due to the cost and disruption of construction
required to build a shared use path along the
length of the corridor, it is recommended only
a priority section be constructed in the near-
term where parallel bikeways are not feasible.
Elsewhere, the remainder of the path will be
implemented as parcels redevelop along
North College Avenue. The priority area to be
constructed in the near-term is on the west
side of North College Avenue between Hibdon
Court and the pedestrian and bicycle bridge
over the canal to the north (Figure 10).
This design
also aims
to improve
the comfort
and safety of
people using
active modes
and people
taking transit
on the corridor.
ROADWAY DESIGN OF NORTH COLLEGE
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 22
Figure 7: North College Avenue Cross-section at Poudre River Bridge
Figure 6: Typical North College Avenue BAT Lane Cross-section
Typical
Throughout the project, concerns were
heard regarding the safety of people biking
and walking on the shared use paths where
they intersect minor streets and driveways.
Figure 8 shows treatments implemented in
other cities to minimize crash risk at similar
locations. These treatments include bending
out the shared use path at intersections to
create yielding space for drivers turning off
of the major street and stacking space for
drivers waiting to turn onto the major street.
High-visibility markings emphasize the path
crossing to people driving.
6-20’
Figure 8: Typical Shared-use Path Crossing with Setback and High-visibility Markings
*At signalized intersections, turn lanes will replace the median.
Bridge Over the Poudre River
EXHIBIT A
23 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
MEDIANS
Creating the BAT lanes will require
narrowing the existing landscaped
medians, typically by one to five feet.
Additionally, the plan recommends adding
medians on North College where they do
not currently exist south of Conifer Street
and as shown in Figure 9. The median
narrowing and new median would have
some construction impacts to the corridor.
FUTURE BUS TURNAROUND
This plan also recommends constructing
a new turnaround for buses outside of
the Poudre Valley Mobile Home Park,
somewhere north of Terry Lake Road along
either North College Avenue or Terry Lake
Road. Through this plan, the project team
explored whether any publicly owned
parcels were available for a turnaround
and found none. Instead, the city will have
to work with a property owner or property
owners to acquire land for a turnaround.
The project team explored different
dimensions for this turnaround and found
that approximately one acre of land is
adequate, with a minimum depth of 150
feet and a minimum length of 250 feet.
COST ESTIMATES
Conceptual cost estimates were
developed for the full implementation
of the cross-sections shown in Figure
6 and Figure 7 along the length of
North College Avenue. The total for
all improvements is estimated to cost
$21.8 million in 2022 dollars, excluding
right-of-way costs and the future bus
turnaround. Rebuilding the entire corridor
Figure 9: Existing and Future Median Locations
at once would not only be a considerable financial investment but would
also create additional construction impacts. For this reason, the phasing
of elements is recommended and phasing options are described in
more detail in Phasing & Funding Sources, later in this section.
Appendix E provides the more detailed breakdown of the cost estimate.
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 24
TRANSIT
RECOMMENDATIONS
Below is a summary of recommendations
for transit service changes across
the North College area:
• New MAX BRT route on North College
Avenue; long-term interlining of
service with MAX on Mason Street
• Realign route 8 to run from the Downtown
Transit Center to Poudre Valley Mobile
Home Park, operating on Blue Spruce
Drive, Redwood Street, and Linden Street
• Elimination of route 81 (the North
College MAX will replace this service)
• New on-demand transit service like
micro-transit service operating in the
neighborhoods near North College
Avenue , connecting to businesses on
Lemay Avenue and bringing people into
the high-frequency transit network
These recommendations are shown on a
map in Figure 11. The following sections
provide further detail about and the
reasoning for each recommendation.
MAX ON NORTH COLLEGE AVENUE
The first phase MAX route alignment for
North College Avenue is from the Downtown
Transit Center to Willox Street on North
College Avenue and back, with the Willox
Street roundabout as the northern turnaround
point (see Figure 11). This alternative was
chosen because it could be implemented
immediately without needing to build a new
turnaround area. This alignment creates a
straightforward and intuitive MAX route that
goes both north and south on North College
Avenue and does not make any additional
loops, helping with route efficiency as well
as being easier to understand for riders.
The drawbacks of this alignment is that MAX level service is not provided
directly to the Poudre Valley Mobile Home Park or the social services on
Blue Spruce Drive and Redwood Street. However, Route 8 will still provide
local service to these locations and the efficiency of a local route on Blue
Spruce Drive and Redwood Street will be improved because it will not
need to make a loop on North College Avenue. Additionally, MAX service
will be provided within a half mile of the main entrance to the mobile home
park at Terry Lake Road and within a quarter mile of the south end which
has an unofficial pedestrian access point that residents use to enter and
exit the neighborhood. Further discussion of the final route alignment
for the local route 8 is covered in an upcoming section of this report.
Figure 10: Near-term Pedestrian & Bicycle Recommendations,
Including High-priority Shared-use Path Segment
EXHIBIT A
25 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure 11: Map of Final Transit RecommendationsPotential Future Phase
of Route Alignment
It is recommended that the long-term vision
for MAX on North College Avenue include
creating a new turnaround point near the
North College Avenue/Terry Lake Road (CO
1) intersection (see Figure 11). There will be a
considerable cost to purchase the property
for and construction of this turnaround, which
makes it a less desirable alternative in the
short-term. However as a long-term goal, this
turnaround would be able to provide MAX
service closer to the Poudre Valley Mobile
Home Park and other residences in the area
north of Willox Street. This turnaround would
also be available for use by local buses to
eliminate buses turning around inside of the
mobile home park as they currently do today.
Service Characteristics
It is recommended that the MAX route
on North College Avenue operate at a
15-minute frequency. A round trip of the
route is estimated to take about 12-minutes.
Therefore, this service could be operated
with one bus every 15 minutes with roughly
three minutes of recovery time between trips.
The following sections provide additional
information on how the possibility of interlining
MAX on North College Avenue with MAX on
Mason Street and could affect frequencies.
Future Interlining with MAX
on Mason Street
Based on extensive community desire for a
one-seat ride from North College Avenue to
the South Transit Center, technical analysis of
this plan considered the feasibility, benefits,
and drawbacks of interlining the MAX on
North College Avenue with the existing MAX
on Mason Street route. Interlining the two
routes would result in operating the service as
one continuous route where the Downtown
Transit Center would serve as a stop rather
than a transfer. In the near- and mid-term it
is recommended that these two MAX routes
operate separately (possibly with different
service names) because of a mismatch of
the planned frequencies of each route and
reliability challenges created by railroad
crossings.
Mismatch of Frequencies
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, MAX on Mason Street ran at 10-minute
frequencies with six buses required to operate that service. It is expected that
MAX on Mason Street will return to this frequency once resources are available.
The MAX route on North College Avenue is proposed to have 15-minute
frequencies which allows the route to be operated using only one bus. Existing
demand is not yet at a level where 10-minute frequency is necessary. The
two MAX routes operating separately would require a total of seven buses.
Riders would transfer from the North College Avenue route to the Mason
Street route at the Downtown Transit Center. Given the planned frequencies
of 15- and 10-minutes, riders would not experience much waiting to transfer.
If interlining is desirable in the future, the challenge of misaligned frequencies
(10-minutes vs. 15-minutes) can be addressed two different ways:
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 26
1. Run a bus at 10-minute frequencies the length of the two
routes, from the turnaround on Willox Lane to the South
Transit Center. This requires eight buses to operate (one
more than if the routes operate separately). MAX on Mason
Street currently has a simple 60-minute run time with built in
recovery time. Extending up to North College Avenue would
create a 75-minute cycle time for the route that would require
two additional buses than MAX on Mason Street did before
the pandemic.
The benefits of interlining are that it is a simple and intuitive
schedule for riders and provides a single seat ride from
the North College area all the way to the South Transit
Center. This strategy also provides more frequent service
to North College Avenue than if the routes operated
separately. The drawbacks of this option are that it requires
an additional bus to operate compared to the non-
interlined option, which would be an extra cost for the bus,
operator hours, and other operating costs. It is possible
the additional resource investments to interline the two
routes may not result in proportional increases in ridership
based on expected demand in the North College area.
2. Run only every other MAX on Mason Street bus up North
College Avenue so that MAX on Mason Street has 10-minute
frequency but MAX on North College Avenue would have
20-minute frequency. This option also requires 8 buses,
because of the needed cycle time to combine both routes
into one. The only benefit this option achieves is creating
the single seat ride from Willox Lane to the South Transit
Center. The drawbacks include the alternating run schedule
(which is often confusing and frustrating for riders), additional
resources needed for the eighth bus, and lower frequency
service for the North College area. This strategy would
require similar resources as the first without the added
benefit of high-frequency service on North College Avenue.
Based on 2019 ridership data, MAX on Mason Street averages
285 boardings per station per day or 800 passengers per mile.
Interlining would be most appropriate when transit ridership on
North College Avenue comes within a margin of these levels
of productivity (approximately 1,500 boardings per day).
Conflicts from Additional Rail Crossings
The North College Avenue MAX route will need to cross two
freight rail lines in order to connect the Downtown Transit
Center with the north end of North College Avenue. MAX on
Mason Street already crosses the rail twice: once when turning
around north of the Downtown Transit Center and a second
time in the southbound direction at Laurel Street. The rail
crossings will impact the route’s reliability at certain times as
the bus must wait for the trains to pass through. This is likely
to cause the bus to run behind schedule. Rail crossings will
be a challenge for the North College MAX route regardless
but interlining with MAX on Mason Street will bring this
challenge to the Mason Street service where it is not currently
an issue. Rather than just the North College area occasionally
experiencing these delays, the railroad crossings have the
potential to impact the reliability of the entire interlined route.
For these two reasons it is recommended that the
two services begin operating as separate routes. The
feasibility and benefits of interlining the two routes may
be more appropriate to consider when ridership of a
North College MAX route is better understood after the
service has been operating for a couple of years.
CO2 EMISSION REDUCTION BENEFITS
MAX on North College Avenue is envisioned to eventually
deliver daily ridership over 1,000 boardings per day. Assuming
typical point-to-point travel distances of three to five miles, and
if all of these trips were to be made by car, this level of ridership
represents 3,000 to 5,000 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per
day, or 2,400 to 4,000 pounds of reduced CO2 emissions
per day. While this likely over-estimates the CO2 emissions
reduction potential of MAX on North College Avenue as not
all ridership would be converted from driving trips, it does
illustrate the CO2 emissions-reducing potential of the service.
STOPS & STATIONS
Locations
The final plan for MAX on North College Avenue includes
consolidating and aligning the existing bus stops to create
the MAX stations (see Figure 11). New station locations were
chosen for their proximity to key destinations as well as their
alignment with existing or proposed traffic signals. All stations
were aligned into matching pairs, one northbound station and
one southbound station on the other side of the road. These
station pairs make the service easier to use for riders, allowing
someone to pick-up the bus for their return trip in the same
location they were dropped off. This mitigates confusion about
where to go to take the bus back, especially for newer riders.
Station pairs were located around traffic signals to provide
safe, controlled pedestrian crossings linking the northbound
and southbound stations together. Crossing at signals to
access bus stops and destinations on the other side of the
road improves pedestrian comfort as well as minimizing out
of direction travel for people accessing the bus stops.
EXHIBIT A
Shared Mobility Hub
Bus shelter TNC/microtransit drop-off/pick-up
Bike parking
Intersecting bike lane or bike pathsInformation and fare payment
Scooter share & bike share (Zagster)
6
5
1
2 3
4
7
8
1
2
3
Car share4
5
6
7
Car charging station8
27 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
Figure 12: Shared Mobility Hub
SHARED
MOBILITY
HUB
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 28
Amenities at MAX Stations It is recommended that each MAX BRT station feature
multimodal options, with the most northern station near King
Soopers being the a mobility hub with the most amenities.
All MAX BRT stations should have the following
amenities, where space allows:
• Intuitive information on transportation options:
»Live informational signage on transit arrival times
»Maps of key destinations, transit
routes, and bicycle facilities
• High comfort station amenities including:
»Shelters
»Benches
»Trash cans
»Pedestrian scale lighting
»Kiosks for ticket purchases (if applicable)
• Features of universal design for accessibility by all users
• Public art
• Security features such as emergency telephones
• Bicycle parking (covered where possible)
• Micro-mobility parking areas
The northern most station near the King Soopers will serve as a
mobility hub. The Transit Master Plan envisioned a mobility hub
at this location, which can be incorporated into redevelopment
of the former Albertsons site. As a mobility hub, it can include
the following additional amenities illustrated in Figure 12:
• Secure bicycle parking
• Park-n-ride
• Restrooms
• Electric vehicle (EV) charging
• Car share
• Taxi/ride hailing loading zones
• Micro-mobility charging hubs
These additional amenities would require more space than
a typical MAX station. Partnerships can be pursued with
nearby landowners and businesses to create shared parking
agreements or other agreements allowing station amenities to
be located on parcels near the station. The vacant Albertsons
lot could provide a great opportunity to accommodate
these mobility hub elements on part of that property.
NEW ROUTE 8
The recommended alignment for local bus service is to
eliminate the current route 81 and realign route 8 to create
greater efficiency and eliminate redundancy with MAX on North
College Avenue. The new route 8 will run from the Downtown
Transit Center to Willow Street, then head north on Linden
Street to Redwood Street to Blue Spruce Drive. The route will
then turn west on Willox Lane and turnaround in the Poudre
Valley Mobile Home Park as it does today and then reverse
the directions above back to downtown (see Figure 11). When
the future turnaround south of Terry Lake is constructed,
route 8 will also use this turnaround in order to remove
turning buses from the Poudre Valley Mobile Home Park.
The new alignment of route 8 will make it more intuitive
and efficient for riders, particularly those using the service
to get to and from the services on Blue Spruce drive,
since the route would run the same path northbound
and southbound. The alignment also retains the
connection between the service providers east of North
College Avenue with the Downtown Transit Center.
Alignments that brought route 8 to destinations on
Lemay Avenue were considered, however after analysis
those options were not recommended because of route
inefficiency, loss of the connection from services on Blue
Spruce Drive to Downtown, and redundancy with route
5. Instead, this need for connections to destinations on
Lemay Avenue, like shopping and medical services, was
addressed with a recommendation for new on-demand micro-
transit service that is detailed in the following section.
Service Characteristics
The new alignment of route 8 is recommended to run at
20-minute frequencies. It is estimated that a round trip of
this route would take about 35-minutes. This means it would
require two buses to operate route 8 at 20-minute frequency
with a 5-minute recovery period between trips. Route 8 could
also operate at 30-minute frequencies but this would still
require two buses. For this reason it is more beneficial and
efficient to operate the route at 20-minute frequencies.
Amenities at Local Bus Stops
It is recommended that all local bus stops on the
realigned route 8 be upgraded to include the
following amenities where space is available:
• Shelters
• Maps of the transit system
• Benches
• Trash cans
• Pedestrian scale lighting
• Bicycle/micro-mobility parking
Providing these amenities at stops can make riding the bus feel
safer and more comfortable for a wider demographic of riders.
Bus shelters make it more feasible and comfortable for people
to ride transit in inclement weather. Benches provide a chance
to rest while waiting for the bus which can be particularly
critical for older adults and people with mobility issues. Trash
cans and pedestrian scale lighting provide a more comfortable
station environment, particularly at night. Bicycle and micro-
EXHIBIT A
29 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
mobility parking provide an option for people to easily access
the stop by bicycle or scooter to make their trip more efficient
or access a bus stop that is too far to comfortably walk to.
INNOVATION ZONE: NEW MICRO-TRANSIT SERVICE
This plan recommends exploring a microtransit service from
the North College area to destinations on Lemay Avenue.
See Figure 11 for the approximate boundaries of the
recommended zones within the study area. Travelers could
request trips that started and ended at any two points within
the three zones on the map. The three zones encompass
the mobile home communities near North College Avenue,
the Tres Colonias neighborhoods, Walmart, Home Depot,
Safeway, Poudre Valley Hospital, and other medical services
on Lemay Avenue. These microtransit zones were drawn
based on where community members reported they wanted
new transit connections to the North College area.
The microtransit service will help fill the gap in transit service to
the Tres Colonias neighborhoods and provide a direct link from
the North College area to Home Depot, Walmart, Safeway, and
medical services on Lemay Avenue. These new connections
were identified as high priority by community members.
Additionally, the service would provide a first/last-mile
connection between MAX service on North College Avenue
and the surrounding neighborhoods. The data collected about
trips in the microtransit system can inform the creation of a
fixed route service in the future.
What is Microtransit?
Microtransit is a form of demand response transit that
uses a smartphone app (with a call-in option) to match trip
requests in real time. Microtransit typically uses small vans
or shuttle buses and can be operated by a contracted
provider or by an agency, like Transfort, with purchase
of a ride-matching app and associated technology.
Microtransit allows for transit service connecting low to medium
density areas with popular destinations where a fixed-route
bus route may not be appropriate due to low demand for
fixed-route transit. Microtransit technology has the ability to
group trips to and from popular destinations at similar times.
This service can charge a fare or be operated fare-free.
Equity Considerations for Microtransit
A new microtransit service should still be accessible to
people who do not have reliable access to cellphone
data, are not proficient in using a smartphone, or are
uncomfortable creating a profile on an app. To address
this concern, the new service should include a call-in
option as an alternative to using the app. Providing a call-
in option for riders is an essential component to making
this tech-enabled service more accessible to everyone.
Additionally, any materials developed for this service should
be in both English and Spanish, at a minimum, in order to
make the service easy and accessible for riders who primarily
speak Spanish. Finally, it should be noted that at least one
vehicle in the microtransit fleet must be ADA accessible.
Figure 13 Image of Microtransit Service in Denver called the “Montbello Connector”
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 30
Service Characteristics
Within the study area, the proposed microtransit zones cover
a total of 2.4 square miles. Operating this microtransit system
would require one to two vehicles (one of which must be ADA
accessible) in order to provide service within 10-minutes of a
request. The exact number of vehicles needed will depend
on days and hours of service, projected demand, and the final
service area as it may be desirable to serve other nearby areas
not served by fixed-route transit.
ACTIVE MODE
RECOMMENDATIONS
In addition to the new shared use path along North
College Avenue, several other recommendations were
developed for improving active mode use in the North
College area, building upon the recommendations in the
2022 update to the Active Modes Plan (see Figure 14):
• Construction of two new traffic signals
on North College Avenue
• Improvement of five key roadway crossings
east of North College Avenue
• Creation of comfortable pedestrian and bicycle networks
to the east and west of North College Avenue
• Interim protected bike lanes on North College Avenue
The following sections provide locations and more detail
for these pedestrian and bicycle recommendations.
Roadway Crossings
Additional signals with crosswalks at Bristlecone Street and
Suniga Road are recommended. Signalizing these intersections
would provide additional controlled crossings for people using
active modes and make it more convenient for transit riders to
get between the northbound and southbound stations at these
locations (see Figure 14). The signal at North College Avenue/
Suniga Road is already planned for construction and both
the signals are planned for in CDOT’s US-287 (North College
Avenue) Access Control Plan. The signal at Bristlecone Drive
would also serve people accessing the future 24/7 shelter at
Hibdon Court.
Figure 14: Pedestrian & Bicycle Infrastructure Improvements
EXHIBIT A
31 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
In addition to the signals on North College Avenue, it is
recommended that the following intersections be evaluated for
improved bicycle and pedestrian crossings (see Figure 14):
• Conifer Street / Red Cedar Court / Jerome Street
• Suniga Road / Jerome Street
• Vine Drive / Jerome Street (in design as of fall 2022)
• Hickory Street / Mason Street
(when Mason Street extension is constructed)
• Bristlecone Street / Red Cedar Court
(when Red Cedar Court extension is constructed)
These locations are all on the recommended parallel
networks for improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
(see Figure 14) and several were identified by community
members as difficult areas to cross the street.
Active Mode Networks Adjacent
to North College Avenue
It is recommended that investments be made on streets
adjacent to North College Avenue to create comfortable
infrastructure for people using active modes (see Figure
14). Investments in the streets around North College
Avenue will give people the option to walk and bike
on lower speed streets with fewer cars, providing an
alternative to walking or biking on North College Avenue.
The recommended infrastructure upgrades to these
streets include:
• New bikeways on:
»Bristlecone Street between North College Avenue
and Blue Spruce Drive – this segment has a curb-to-
curb width of approximately 40 feet, which is adequate
for buffered or protected bike lanes if on-street
parking is prohibited. If parking cannot be removed,
a Neighborhood Bikeway may be feasible provided
that traffic calming can achieve the desired vehicular
volume and speed levels of a Neighborhood Bikeway.
»Blue Spruce Drive from Conifer Street to Suniga
Road – this segment has a curb-to-curb width
of approximately 30 feet. Given the residential
nature of this segment, a Neighborhood Bikeway is
recommended. Additional traffic calming treatments
may be necessary to achieve the desired vehicular
volume and speed levels of a Neighborhood Bikeway.
»The proposed Mason Street extension – the Mason
Street extension is proposed as a 2-lane collector.
The Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards for a
2-lane collector feature two travel lanes and buffered
bike lanes with 5-foot bike lanes and 3-foot buffers.
»The proposed Red Cedar Circle extension – the Red
Cedar Circle extension is proposed as a 2-lane collector.
31 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONSEXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 32 32
Figure 15: I Interim Protected Bike Lane Cross-section
The Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards for a
2-lane collector feature two travel lanes and buffered
bike lanes with 5-foot bike lanes and 3-foot buffers.
• Wide detached sidewalks with limited or no curb cuts across
the sidewalk on the proposed Mason Street extension.
• Wayfinding on North College Avenue and the
parallel pedestrian and bicycle corridors directing
people how best to walk and bike between key
destinations and use the parallel streets to bike the
length of North College Avenue comfortably.
Investing in these parallel streets for people using active
modes will make it more convenient and comfortable to move
through the North College area, as well as improve the first
and last mile connections to MAX stations and route 8 stops.
INTERIM PROTECTED BIKE LANES ON NORTH COLLEGE AVENUE
As an interim solution to address user comfort for people
biking on North College Avenue, this plan recommends that
the wide shoulder on North College Avenue be converted into
one-way protected bike lanes. The shoulders are typically 8
feet wide from curb to edge line which is adequate space for
a 5- to 6-foot bike lane and a 2- to 3-foot buffer with vertical
delineators. Figure 15 shows a cross-section of the interim
protected bike lanes. Eventually, once BAT lanes are added
by narrowing the median, the continuous shared-use path on
North College Avenue will replace the protected bike lanes.
Changes to the Master Street Plan
The map of adjacent pedestrian and bicycle networks (Figure
14) assumes the future construction of two roadway extensions:
Mason Street and Red Cedar Court. The alignment shown
in Figure 16 differs from that currently shown in the Master
Streets Plan. These alignments are recommended for a variety
of reasons including equity, feasibility, and circulation.
Mason Street Extension
The Master Street Plan indicates a future extension of Mason
Street from Suniga Road, to the north through the North
College Mobile Home Park, across Willox Lane, across the
Larimer & Weld Canal, and connecting back to North College
Avenue through the Poudre Valley Mobile Home Park in
Larimer County. The intention of the original Mason Street
alignment was to provide a parallel street on the west side of
North College Avenue for local access and circulation as an
alternative to the highway. The original Mason Street alignment
provided access to North College Avenue at signalized
intersections as medians were implemented on North
College Avenue to manage access to individual properties.
This plan recommends amending the Master Street Plan to
show Mason Street’s north terminus at a future intersection
with Bristlecone Drive which will have a traffic signal on North
College Avenue. The remaining portion of a future parallel
Mason Street can still provide access and utilities to land
parcels that currently lack that infrastructure. It also would
provide bicycle and pedestrian paths for local circulation
without requiring the use of the highway. Because Mason
Street will still provide access to North College Avenue at
the same signalized intersections as previously proposed,
the traffic impacts of this change will be minimal.
In the area of the North College Mobile Home Park, this original
alignment is based on ideas for potential redevelopment of
the east portion of the park with related drainage and utility
improvements. Additionally, new access to a traffic signal
on North College Avenue would provide improved access
to shopping and other destinations to the east and north.
Recently, park ownership and management have changed
their approach to reinvest in the east portion of the park, at the
same time that affordable housing has become an increasingly
critical issue which is evident by the current effort to rezone
the park to Manufactured Housing (M-H), intended to preserve
affordability. For these reasons, along with the community
discussions for this plan, this plan recommends amending the
Master Street Plan to show Mason Street’s north terminus at
EXHIBIT A
33 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
a future intersection with Bristlecone Drive. This will remove
the future Mason Street connection through the park.
The Master Street Plan also indicates future extension of the
Mason Street alignment northward from Willox Lane along
what is currently Willox Court, across the Larimer & Weld Canal
with a new bridge, and then along a street through the Poudre
Valley Mobile Home Park in Larimer County connecting to
North College Avenue. This study recommends removing that
proposed street segment because of the major difficulties
and costs and minor benefits. A short segment of Mason
Street was already built south of Willox Lane. This segment
provides access to two parcels owned by the City of Fort
Collins. In the future, this segment can be reconfigured as a
cul-de-sac to enable turning around as well as parcel access.
While a parallel street that extends the full length of the
corridor is lost with this realignment, the intent of the original
alignment is still achieved. The parcels to the south of the
North College Mobile Home Park are the parcels without
existing access to North College Avenue. The proposed
alignment would still provide access to those parcels.
High-comfort bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure can be
accommodated in the form of a shared-use path on North
College Avenue north of Bristlecone Drive, rather than on a
parallel street. For this reason this section of the recommended
shared-use path is a near-term priority project in this plan.
Lastly, south of Conifer Street, the Mason Street extension
will complement proposed medians south of Conifer
Street by provided alternative access to properties
currently accessed by North College Avenue.
The development of North Mason Street will likely have an
alternative cross-section to the Collector identified in the
Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards (LCUASS), but
will still accommodate a buffered bike facility for the parallel
bike network. This is to accommodate the existing businesses
and property alignments, and likely low volumes of traffic.
Figure 16: Original and Recommended Mason Street Alignment
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 34
Figure 17: Recommended Red Cedar Court AlignmentRed Cedar Court Extension
The current alignment in the Master Street Plan for Red Cedar
Court crosses Bristlecone Street to connect to Willox Lane.
The new alignment, shown in Figure 17, would terminate
Red Cedar Court as a collector street at Bristlecone Street,
using Blue Spruce Drive as a continuous north-south collector
street parallel to North College Avenue. Development
and redevelopment north of Bristlecone Street, including
redevelopment of the former Albertson’s, would allow for
other north-south streets connecting to Red Cedar Court.
PHASING & FUNDING
SOURCES
The plan recommends a phased approach to
implementation for the following reasons:
A major capital project was constructed on North College
less than a decade ago. The construction of sidewalks,
streetscape amenities, and medians was challenging for
residents and businesses in the North College corridor.
More major construction in the near term is not welcome.
The mid- and long-term recommendations are not yet
needed in the corridor but associated conditions will
be monitored to determine when they are needed.
The mid- and long-term recommendations are expensive
and without meeting certain population and ridership
requirements this project is not eligible for the FTA
grants that typically pay for such improvements like
the Small Starts grant used for the MAX BRT.
All of the transportation recommendations detailed previously
are summarized and organized as near-, mid-, and long-term
transportation recommendations and displayed in Table 1,
Table 2, and Table 3, respectively. Potential funding sources
and relevant partners were identified for each recommendation.
Funding Opportunity Acronyms
Below is a list of acronyms used in the
recommendations tables that correspond to federal
grants or other federal funding programs:
• FTA - Federal Transit Administration
• MMOF - Multimodal Transportation and Mitigation
Options Fund (distributed through North Front
Range Metropolitan Planning Organization)
• CMAQ - Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Improvement Program (distributed through North
Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization)
• STBG – Surface Transportation Block Grant (distributed through
North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization)
»(TA) - Transportation Alternatives (a subset of
the Surface Transportation Block Grant)
• RAISE - Rebuilding American Infrastructure
with Sustainability and Equity Discretionary
Grant Program (distributed by the United
States Department of Transportation)
EXHIBIT A
35 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation Planning Level
Cost Estimates Relevant Partners Potential
Funding Sources
Fixed-route Transit Realignments:
•Create new high-frequency bus route on
North College Avenue within existing general-
purpose lanes at 15-minute frequency (with
turnaround at Willox Lane roundabout)
•Realign route 8 on Blue Spruce Drive, Redwood
Street, and Linden Street at 30-minute frequency
•Eliminate route 81
Fleet needs: $2.3m
for battery electric
buses
Operating costs:
neutral
Transfort
FTA 5307
Funding,
MMOF, CMAQ
Micro-transit Zone
Fleet needs: $120k
Operating costs:
+$500k per year
Transfort, Ride-matching
technology provider
FTA 5307
Funding,
MMOF, CMAQ
Consolidate existing local bus stops into new
MAX Stations at signalized intersections (with
basic amenities such as shelters, benches,
trash cans, and pedestrian scale lighting)
$450k FC Moves, Engineering,
CDOT, Property owners
FTA 5339
Funding, CMAQ,
STBG, RAISE
New shared use path on the west side of North College
Avenue (between the canal and Hibdon Court)$770k FC Moves, Engineering,
CDOT, Property owners
STBG, MMOF,
CMAQ, RAISE
Adopt amendments to the Mason Street
realignment identified in the Master Streets Plan
No cost. Staff
time only.
City Council, FC
Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
N/A
New Signals
Suniga Road/North
College Avenue $500k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations MMOF, STBG
Bristlecone Street/North
College Avenue $500k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations MMOF, STBG
Improved bicycle
and pedestrian
crossings
Bristlecone Drive/
Red Cedar Circle $80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Conifer Street/Red Cedar
Circle/Jerome Street $80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Hickory Street/Mason Street $80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Suniga Road/Jerome Street $80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Vine Drive/Jerome Street $80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
New buffered
or protected
bike lanes
Interim one-way protected bike
lanes on North College Avenue
north of the railroad crossing
$340k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations Local
Jerome Street (between Conifer
Street and Suniga Road)$25k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Blue Spruce Drive (between
Conifer Street and Suniga Road)$25k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Bristlecone Street (between
North College Avenue and
Blue Spruce Drive)
$50k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Table 1: Near-term Transportation Recommendations
NEAR-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 36
Recommendation Planning Level
Cost Estimates Necessary Partners Potential
Funding Sources
Business Access Transit (BAT) lanes on North
College Avenue (between Willox Lane and
Willow Street)
$22m FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations CDOT
FTA 5339 Funding,
MMOF, STBG (TA),
CMAQ, RAISE
*Increase bus frequency and service hours:
•MAX on North College Avenue with
15-minute peak frequency
•Route 8 with 15-minute peak frequency
Fleet needs: +$1m
Operating costs: +$1m
per year
Transfort, Ride-matching
technology provider
FTA 5307 Funding,
MMOF, CMAQ
Creation of mobility hub near
Willox Lane turnaround
No capital cost.
Incorporate into
redevelopment plans.
Transfort, FC
Moves, Engineering,
Property owners
FTA 5339 Funding,
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
*Shared-use paths for the length of North
College Avenue on both sides of the roadway
Public Works, CDOT,
Property owners
MMOF, STBG,
CMAQ
Fully built MAX stations with multimodal options Included in cost
of BAT lanes.
Transfort, FC Moves,
Engineering, Traffic
Operations, CDOT,
Property owners
FTA 5339
Funding, MMOF,
STBG, CMAQ
Bus turnaround north of Terry Lake Road $5m; does not
include property.
Transfort, FC Moves,
Engineering, Traffic
Operations, CDOT,
Adjacent property owners
FTA 5339
Funding, MMOF,
STBG, CMAQ
*Construct medians south of Conifer Street
FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations,
CDOT, Property owners
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
*New buffered or
protected bike lanes
or shared use paths
with planned roadway
connections
Mason Street
(between
Bristlecone Street
and Alpine Street)
No capital cost.
Incorporate into new
street construction.
FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Red Cedar
Circle (between
Willox Lane and
Conifer Street)
No capital cost.
Incorporate into new
street construction.
FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Table 2: Mid-term Transportation Recommendations
MID-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS
The mid-term recommendations include large capital
investments that will not be implemented until the following
conditions are met:
•Ridership on North College BRT is at 1,000 boardings
per day, or
•Traffic becomes congested to the point that intersections
on North College Avenue are experiencing a level of
service F, or
•The population (currently approximately 7,000) and
employment (currently approximately 16,125) of the area
doubles from current levels, or
•CDOT plans a major rehabilitation project for North College
Avenue and this plan’s recommended improvements could
occur at the same time.
Additionally, prior to any major capital project related to this
plan, an Equity Analysis is recommended to identify and
mitigate possible negative outcomes.
RecommendationPlanning Level
Cost EstimatesRelevant PartnersPotential
Funding Sources
Fixed-route Transit Realignments:
• Create new high-frequency bus route on
North College Avenue within existing general-
purpose lanes at 15-minute frequency (with
turnaround at Willox Lane roundabout)
• Realign route 8 on Blue Spruce Drive, Redwood
Street, and Linden Street at 30-minute frequency
• Eliminate route 81
Fleet needs: $2.3m
Operating costs:
+$500k per year
Transfort
FTA 5307
Funding,
MMOF, CMAQ
Micro-transit Zone
Fleet needs: $120k
Operating costs:
+$500k per year
Transfort, Ride-matching
technology provider
FTA 5307
Funding,
MMOF, CMAQ
Consolidate existing local bus stops into new
MAX Stations at signalized intersections (with
basic amenities such as shelters, benches,
trash cans, and pedestrian scale lighting)
$450k FC Moves, Engineering,
CDOT, Property owners
FTA 5339
Funding, CMAQ,
STBG, RAISE
New shared use path on the west side of North College
Avenue (between the canal and Hibdon Court)$770k FC Moves, Engineering,
CDOT, Property owners
STBG, MMOF,
CMAQ, RAISE
Adopt amendments to the Mason Street
realignment identified in the Master Streets Plan
No cost. Staff
time only.
City Council, FC
Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
N/A
New Signals
Suniga Road/North
College Avenue$500k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic OperationsMMOF, STBG
Bristlecone Street/North
College Avenue$500k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic OperationsMMOF, STBG
Improved bicycle
and pedestrian
crossings
Bristlecone Drive/
Red Cedar Circle$80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Conifer Street/Red Cedar
Circle/Jerome Street$80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Hickory Street/Mason Street$80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Suniga Road/Jerome Street$80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Vine Drive/Jerome Street$80k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
New buffered
or protected
bike lanes
Interim one-way protected bike
lanes on North College Avenue
north of the railroad crossing
$340k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic OperationsLocal
Jerome Street (between Conifer
Street and Suniga Road)$25k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Blue Spruce Drive (between
Conifer Street and Suniga Road)$25k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ
Bristlecone Street (between
North College Avenue and
Blue Spruce Drive)
$50k FC Moves, Engineering,
Traffic Operations
MMOF, STBG
(TA), CMAQ *Recommendations with an asterisk could be implemented before the previously listed conditions are met.
Included in cost
of BAT lanes.
Included in cost
of BAT lanes.
EXHIBIT A
37 SECTION 04: TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation Planning Level
Cost Estimates Relevant Partners Potential
Funding Sources
Increase bus frequency to 10-minutes; re-evaluate
feasibility and benefits of interlining MAX on North
College Avenue with MAX on Mason Street
Fleet needs: +$1.3m
Operating costs:
+$500k per year
Transfort, FC
Moves, Planning
Development &
Transportation
FTA 5307
Funding, MMOF,
STBG, CMAQ
Table 3: Long-term Transportation Recommendations
LONG-TERM RECOMMENDATIONS
MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS
Some of the recommendations in this plan, such as shared-use paths,
landscaped medians, transit station amenities, and protected bike lanes will
require more time to maintain and may require the purchase of specialized
equipment, incurring higher maintenance costs. For example, based on analysis
completed for the Bicycle Master Plan, the Fort Collins Streets Department
estimated that it costs $17,900 per year to sweep and plow one mile of
protected bike lane compared to $3,970 per year to sweep and plow one mile
of standard bike lane.
As projects from this plan go through final design, the project management
team shall work closely with the Transfort, Streets Department, Forestry, and the
Parks Department to identify maintenance requirements, context appropriate
materials, and maintenance responsibilities. Future budget requests should be
made at the time the recommended facilities are built.
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 38
EXHIBIT A
39 SECTION 05: URBAN DESIGN & LAND USE REQUIREMENTSEXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 40
Urban Design
& Land Use Requirements
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 40
EXHIBIT A
41 SECTION 05: URBAN DESIGN & LAND USE REQUIREMENTS
Urban Design & Land UseRequirements
Based on community input and travel demand
projections, it was determined that this plan
needed to create recommendations around
land use, future development, and affordability.
Community members expressed that their
priorities for future development in the North
College Avenue area included preserving
and expanding affordability for residents and
local businesses, increasing density to support
high-frequency transit, and redevelopment
of currently vacant properties to provide
new housing, services, and infrastructure
improvements in the area. The existing zoning
in the area does not support these ideas as
effectively as it could.
CORRIDOR
DENSITY AND BRT
CORRELATION
BRT corridors are typically found in more
dense urban settings due to higher
population and ridership demand in
these areas. Low density areas lack the
population for frequent ridership demand
and have larger dispersal areas making
accessing stations difficult. Federal grants
for infrastructure improvements are awarded
when there is increased ridership demand
and the zoning conditions that support
higher population densities. As shown in
Figure 18, the area is currently transitioning
Community members
expressed that
their priorities
included preserving
and expanding
affordability for
residents and
local businesses,
increasing density
to support high-
frequency transit,
and redevelopment
of currently
vacant properties
to provide new
housing, services,
and infrastructure
improvements
in the area.
Figure 18: Depicts the Correlation Between Densities and Building Height Increases
With the Type of Public Transit That Can Be Supported
The North College area’s
current land uses and
density reflect Mixed
Neighborhoods. With
the recommendations
of this plan, the area
will transition to an
Urban Mixed-Use area,
compatible with BRT.
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 42
from low density to medium and higher density.
The following recommendations have been developed
to bring additional residential units and new businesses
required along North College Avenue to support BRT
operations and infrastructure.
To help address these community priorities the following
policies are recommended for the North College Avenue
area:
• Establish a North College Avenue specific Transit-Oriented
Development (TOD) Overlay Zone
• Modify the existing 200-foot residential setback from North
College Avenue
• Increase building height allowance
• Provide regional detention and reduce Low Impact
Development (LID) requirements for projects that include
affordable housing to provide more on-site buildable area
while also reducing development costs
• Establish connectivity requirements
• Establish outdoor space requirements for large urban
buildings
• Reference River Downtown Redevelopment (RDR)
architectural standards
• Create incentives to preserve existing commercial buildings
and current rental rates where possible
The following sections provide more detail about each of the
policies listed previously. The current Mason MAX BRT utilizes
many of the same recommendations particularly in the area
near Colorado State University and Downtown Fort Collins.
Figure 19 shows an artist’s rendering of possible character
of North College Avenue with redevelopment and new
development that utilizes the recommended policies while also
integrating with the existing commercial and residential of the
area.
Figure 19: An artist’s rendering of possible character of North College Avenue with Redeveloped and New Developed Properties That Adhere To Recommendations
Proposed infill developmentProposed infill development
Proposed BRT station 12’ Shared-Use Path Existing mobile home park Proposed BRT only lane 12’ Shared-Use Path
Proposed BRT only lane Proposed BRT station Existing development
NORTH COLLEGE AVENUE
EXHIBIT A
43 SECTION 05: URBAN DESIGN & LAND USE REQUIREMENTS
NORTH COLLEGE
AVENUE SPECIFIC
TOD OVERLAY ZONE
Currently the City of Fort Collins has an
existing Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Overlay Zone that runs along the Mason
Street Corridor from Vine Drive to the South
Transit Center. This TOD Overlay Zone
includes reduced parking requirements and
increased building heights that allow for
additional housing units when affordable
units are included. This TOD Overlay Zone is
meant to encourage more dense residential
developments and affordable housing that
support ridership for the MAX BRT route on
Mason Street.
In order to facilitate denser transit-oriented
development that supports public transit and
provides pedestrian and bike connectivity,
more open space options, and regional
detention, a new TOD Overlay Zone should be
established north of Vine Street to Terry Lake
Road along North College Avenue. Parking
reductions should be created for standard
developments and decreased further when
affordable housing units are included.
Figure 20 outlines the proposed area of the
North College Avenue TOD Overlay Zone.
Figure 20: North College Avenue TOD Overlay Zone Extents
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Limit new auto-oriented developments such
as auto dealerships, car washes, etc like the
current 10% limitation on auto dealerships
within the zone district on North College
and discourage traditional auto-oriented
design like drive-thru restaurants in order
to prioritize development that supports the
ridership of the BRT and is more compatible
with a multi-modal user group.
• Explore feasibility and costs/benefits of
URA funded parking structure that could
be utilized for public/affordable housing
parking.
• Establish a transit-oriented development
(TOD) Overlay zone or create a new zone
district if deemed appropriate upon further
evaluation.REDWOOD STREETW WILLOX LANE
HICKORY ST
CONIFER ST
BRISTLECONE
1/4 mile from College Ave
North College
Mobile Home Park NORTH COLLEGE AVE.E SUNIGA RD
TERRY LA
K
E
R
D
E VINE DR
CA
C
HE LA POUDRE RI
VERLAKE CAN
AL
BLUE SPRUCECurrent City of Fort Collins Land Use Code Parking Requirement
Proposed City of Fort Collins Land Development Code Parking Requirement*
Proposed North College Ave TOD Overlay Parking Requirement
Non-TOD Existing Mason TOD Overlay
Non-TOD TOD Overlay Any Project with Affordable Housing (applies to all units)
1-Bedroom 1.5 0.75 1 0.75 0.5
2-Bedroom 1.75 1 1.5 1 .75
3-Bedroom 2.0 1.25 2.0 1.25 1
4+-Bedroom 3.0 1.5 3.0 1.5 1.25
All Bedrooms -0.75 -0.75 0.75
* The City of Fort Collins Planning Department is currently working on Land Use Code changes to encourage housing capacity and afford ability
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 44
MODIFY RESIDENTIAL SETBACK
REQUIREMENT
In the 1994 zoning updates a 200-foot setback was established along North
College Avenue that restricted any residential development within it. The
intent of this setback was to preserve commercial uses along the corridor and
recognize the impacts of the highway on livability.
In order to support the new MAX BRT route, improve streetscapes, and
allow for more housing in the corridor, this setback should be modified to
allow residential uses on North College Avenue when part of mixed-use
developments where a portion of the ground floor is commercial. Stand-alone
commercial uses should continue to be permitted.
Figure 21 and Figure 22 outline the different modifications to the setback
approaches that can be used to encourage both mixed-use and commercial
only developments along North College Avenue while allowing for the
development of new residential units as well.
Figure 21: Plan View Options for Configuring Residential and Commercial within Mixed Use Developments within 200 Feet of North College Avenue
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Allow residential development with
ground floor commercial (mixed-use)
within 200-feet of North College Avenue
• Commercial area should be minimum 20%
of ground floor area or 20% of primary
right-of-way frontage, whichever is greater
• Uses associated with residential component
may not be considered as a portion of
the commercial area (i.e. leasing offices,
recreation facilities for residential, etc.)Commercial uses should orient to primary right-of-way
Figure 22: Section View Options for Mixed Use Development within 200 Feet
of North College Avenue Showing Orientation of Commercial UsesR.O.W.R.O.W.
R.O.W.
R.O.W.
R.O.W.R.O.W.North College Ave. (primary frontage)Cross Street (secondary frontage)200’ setback200’ setbackCommercial
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Residential
Residential
Residential
R.O.W.North College Ave.(primary right-of-way)secondary right-of-wayR.O.W.R.O.W.R.O.W.200’ setbackCommercial
Commercial
Commercial
Residential Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential ResidentialResidential
Residential
Current City of Fort Collins Land Use Code Parking Requirement
Proposed City of Fort Collins Land Development Code Parking Requirement*
Proposed North College Ave TOD Overlay Parking Requirement
Non-TODExisting Mason TOD Overlay
Non-TODTOD OverlayAny Project with Affordable Housing (applies to all units)
1-Bedroom1.50.7510.750.5
2-Bedroom1.7511.51.75
3-Bedroom2.01.252.01.251
4+-Bedroom3.01.53.01.51.25
All Bedrooms-0.75-0.750.75
EXHIBIT A
45 SECTION 05: URBAN DESIGN & LAND USE REQUIREMENTS
INCREASE BUILDING HEIGHT
ALLOWANCE
Within the study area there are currently five (5) different zone districts with
varying building height allowances described below and shown in Figure 23:
Figure 24: Building Height Sections
Figure 23: Zoning Map
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Increase building height allowance to
5-stories within the 200-foot setback of
North College Avenue
• 8-stories should be permitted in all other
areas of the North College Avenue TOD
Overlay Zone
To promote denser development for the BRT line as well as to increase the
likelihood of more affordable/attainable housing units it is recommended that
within the North College Avenue TOD Overlay Zone building height allowance
be increased if the share of affordable units in a development exceeds 30% (see
Figure 24).
Building step-backs, which help reduce the perception of overall height along street
frontages should be required along primary public right-of-way for buildings over
3-stories. Mixed use developments will typically require 4-5 stories in order to be
financially feasible, public feedback has indicated that this is supported.
• The Service Commercial District (C-S)
district comprises much of the area
and allows for a maximum building
height of 3-stories
• A small portion of the north-west
corner of the study area is Low
Density Mixed-Use Neighborhood
District (L-M-N) and has a 3-story
maximum
• The Industrial District (I), also on the
east side of North College Avenue
allows for a maximum of 4-stories for
mixed use buildings
• Two areas east of North College
Avenue are zoned Community
Commercial North College
(C-C-N) and Downtown District
(D-innovation subdistrict) and have
a maximum building height of
5-stories
Residential
R.O.W.R.O.W.Rate Rate
Residential Residential
Market Market
Affordable
Stepback required
Stepback required
5-Stories 5-8-Stories
Proposed TOD Overlay
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 46
PROVIDE REGIONAL DETENTION
AND REDUCE LID REQUIREMENTS
By providing a regional detention system for all developments along North
College Avenue more area could be developed on each site, reducing the
overall development cost. Offsite detention reduces design fees, lowers
construction and maintenance costs, allows for more densities on project sites
and creates more park-like natural areas for all residents of the community
Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater treatment facilities comprise a large
portion of not only a site’s area but also of the development costs. Currently
each site must provide LID treatment. Allowing for LID treatment to occur in off-
site detention facilities or reducing the area that needs to be treated for sites
that include affordable housing will allow for less infrastructure needing to be
designed, accommodated, maintained, and paid for. These saved costs promote
the inclusion of affordable/attainable housing in a project.
Currently the city has secured a parcel on the west side of North College
Avenue that will serve as regional detention for all the development from
Bristlecone to the Poudre River. Additional efforts should continue to analyze
and secure regional detention on the east side of North College Avenue.
Figure 25: Regional Detention for All Development and LID for Developments with Affordable/Attainable Housing Diagram
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Invest in additional regional detention on
the west side of North College Avenue, if
current Hickory Pond is not sufficient for
future development (see Figure 25)
• Explore reduction of LID requirements
for developments with more than 30% of
the development’s units being affordable/
attainable housing (for example, only treat
vehicular areas, etc.)
• Explore centralized LID treatment within
regional detention areas in lieu of
“treatment train” approach of having small,
isolated LID treatments for developments
with affordable/attainable housingStreet frontageStreet frontageCity of Fort Collins Regional Detention
Regional LID
Regional LID
EXHIBIT A
47 SECTION 05: URBAN DESIGN & LAND USE REQUIREMENTS
ESTABLISH
PEDESTRIAN
& BICYCLE
CONNECTIVITY
REQUIREMENTS
North College Avenue has several locations
with block lengths that are over 1,000-feet,
making it difficult for bikes and pedestrians
to easily move east and west from North
College Avenue.
The addition of city or privately owned and
maintained trail connections would ease
circulation for these travel modes from the
North College MAX BRT to residential units on
parallel streets.
Figure 26 identifies where these connections
should be made. These locations are based
on current block lengths, existing building
locations, existing city owned land, as well
as existing and proposed streets that are
east and west of North College Avenue.
Easements and/or property dedication to
the city should both be considered. Right-
of-way dedications would ensure long term
maintenance and snow removal. Figure 27
displays diagrams of what these connections
may look like. Within the west area the mobile
home neighborhoods would not be included in
the TOD Overlay Zone. General TOD Overlay
Zone recommendations are outlined here.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Developments within designated areas on
map (Figure 26) shall be required to provide
multi-modal connections from North College
Avenue to parallel streets
• Dedication of 15-foot access easement
or parcel to City of Fort Collins should be
required to accommodate a 10-12-foot trail
connection (Figure 27)
Figure 26: Multi-modal Connections and Block Lengths
Coy DitchDry Creek
A
rth
ur
Ditc
h DryCreekLake CanalLake Canal
GREENBRIARPARK
SUGAR
BEET PARK
LEE MARTINEZ
COMMUNITY PARK
OLD FORT
COLLINS
HERITAGE PARK
BUCKINGHAM
PARK
LEGACY PARK
SOFT GOLD
PARK
L a r imerand W e ld C a n a l
Cache la P o udre River
Terry Lake Paved Shared-use PathBuildingsBody of WaterPark or Open Space
RED CEDAR CIRCLEJEROME STHICKORY ST
CONIFER ST
Connection #1
Connection #5
Connection #6 ~970’~1,510’~1,300’~1,300’~875’Connection #4Connection #2
E SUNIGA RD
LUPINE
Connection #3
N COLLEGE AVEFUTURE MASON ST (TBD)FUTURE MASON ST (TBD)BRT Stop
BRT Stop
BRT Stop
BRISTLECONE
9702107001
9702100008
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 48
Figure 27: Example Multi-Modal Connection Plan and Section
Public R.O.W.15’ wide access easement/parcel dedicated to City
15’ wide access easement / parcel dedicated to City
Redeveloped property Redeveloped property
North College Ave. (primary frontage)EXHIBIT A
49 SECTION 05: URBAN DESIGN & LAND USE REQUIREMENTS
ESTABLISH OUTDOOR SPACE
REQUIREMENTS
Within the North College Avenue TOD Overlay Zone, outdoor spaces should be
more urban in form with plazas, courtyards, and rooftop spaces. These types of
outdoor spaces allow for gathering and refuge to activate the streetscapes and
create visually appealing areas within developments. Naturalized/vegetated
open spaces within the North College Avenue TOD Overlay Zone will be
accomplished with the regional detention areas. Figure 28 and Figure 29
provide examples of how these requirements could look.
Figure 28: Example Open Space Configurations
Figure 29: Example of Courtyard
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Courtyards oriented to the primary public
right-of-way on all multi-family buildings
over 120-feet in length along right-of-way
• Open space credit for roof top amenities
with permanent vegetation that is oriented
towards the right-of-way
• Connecting walkways that have
enhancements such as plazas and
courtyards interior to the site
• Consider reducing the amount of open
space requirements in the event that
regional detention areas are created
Public R.O.W.
Public R.O.W.
Courtyard
Courtyard
Plaza
Rooftop Garden
Parking Lot
Building Building over 120’
Building Parking Lot
Public R.O.W.
Parking LotBuilding
Parking Lot
North College Ave. (primary frontage)
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 50
REFERENCE RIVER DOWNTOWN
REDEVELOPMENT (RDR)
ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS
Currently architectural standards emphasize material changes and vertical
articulation that generally create a complex aesthetic/appearance while
increasing construction costs. In addition, all four sides of a building need to
meet the materiality and articulation requirements which increase costs.
In order to encourage affordable/attainable housing and create a more
simplified building aesthetic the architectural recommendations from the
Fort Collins R-D-R, River Downtown Redevelopment Zone District should be
referenced for the North College Avenue TOD Overlay Zone.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Reference Fort Collins R-D-R, River
Downtown Redevelopment Zone District
Architectural Design Guidelines
• Focus on street facing elevations for facade
requirements (Figure 31).
• Reduce requirements for building
articulation along horizontal planes.
Figure 31: Location of Architectural Facade Requirements
Figure 30: Comparison of Architectural Character Images (“More of This” vs. “Less of This”)
Less of ThisMore of This
Building Building
Facade requirements Facade requirements Facade requirementsPublic R.O.W.Public R.O.W.Public R.O.W.EXHIBIT A
51 SECTION 05: URBAN DESIGN & LAND USE REQUIREMENTS
CREATE INCENTIVES TO
PRESERVE EXISTING
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
AND RENTAL RATES
Community outreach has indicated a preference to
preserve the existing businesses and commercial diversity
that is due to the lower rents that are more common
in this area. There is concern that redevelopment
will increase rent costs and increase the likelihood
that existing businesses could be displaced.
On properties where it is desired to preserve existing
commercial buildings for the types of existing uses in the area,
flexibility should be provided in order to maintain the existing
building and allow for new development to occur.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Continue to allow case-by-case consideration of
requirements for property upgrades “to the extent
reasonably feasible”. Example of such would be adaptive re-
use of an existing hotel/motel becoming multi-family
• Capture lower commercial rental rate in development
agreement, similar to affordable housing deed restrictions
Figure 32: Possible Redevelopment while Retaining Existing Businesses
Existing parking to be allowed to remain in place in front yard
Existing commercial building
Both lots have the same owner
HICKORY STREET
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 52 NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 52
EXHIBIT A
53 SECTION 06: STRATEGIES FOR PRESERVING & INCREASING AFFORDABILITYEXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 54
Strategies for Preserving & Increasing Affordability
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
EXHIBIT A
55 SECTION 06: STRATEGIES FOR PRESERVING & INCREASING AFFORDABILITY
Strategies for Preserving & Increasing Affordability
Currently the North College area is one of
the most affordable neighborhoods in the city
with a diverse population, including a higher
percentage of Hispanic residents (44 percent)
in comparison to the rest of Fort Collins’ as a
whole (12 percent).
The new growth occurring on the
corridor has raised concerns among
existing residents and businesses
about the impacts of gentrification
and displacement. These issues
were identified through the public
input gathered by this project.
This section addresses land use and
development implementation strategies
to improve opportunities for TOD in the
North College corridor. The study area
is largely contained in the North College
Urban Renewal Plan Area (URA) (Figure
33) which has a focus on addressing
infrastructure deficiencies and promoting
redevelopment of underutilized land.
Over the last 15 years, there has been a
significant amount of private infrastructure
investment and related private development.
Previous studies conducted by the URA
as well as this TOD land use analysis have
identified additional redevelopment sites with
the potential for TOD-supportive medium
to high density housing. The development
of these properties is currently inhibited by
infrastructure deficiencies, particularly the
Figure 33: North College Urban Renewal Area
EXHIBIT A
lack of regional stormwater detention and the
lack of local street access on the west side
of North College Avenue. Addressing these
infrastructure deficiencies should therefore
be a priority to continuing redevelopment and
growth in the corridor.
The implementation recommendations
therefore seek to balance the objectives
of supporting additional development and
density with protecting existing affordable
housing, supporting locally owned businesses,
and providing future opportunities for low- and
middle-income residents and employers.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGIES AND INCENTIVES
The additional strategies for encouraging
new development while maintaining and
increasing affordable housing in the corridor
are outlined below. As an overarching goal,
it is recommended that the City establish an
affordable housing goal for the study area
that can be applied to future development
proposals and requests for financial
assistance. An overall goal of 30 percent
affordable at 80 percent AMI or below for
for-sale housing and 60 percent AMI or
below for rental housing is recommended,
which would be support strategies outlined
in the Housing Strategic Plan. The 30
percent goal is based on the on the existing
housing stock in the area which is 32 percent
affordable which includes the mobile home
parks and the Village on Redwood. This 30
percent affordable goal aims to maintain the
current levels of affordability in the area into
the future.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Preservation of Mobile Home Parks
The City has already taken an important step
in maintaining the affordable housing inventory
in the corridor by rezoning the existing Hickory
Village mobile home park to Manufactured
Housing District (MH). The other mobile
home park in the North College area, North
College Mobile Home Park, is currently zoned
as Low Density Mixed-Use. To help maintain
the existing affordable housing inventory in
the corridor, the North College Mobile Home
Park is also recommended to be rezoned to
MH. This zoning action would give greater
protection to this inventory of affordable
housing and would require a landowner or
developer to rezone the property if it were to
propose redevelopment.
Land Bank
Another important step towards affordable
housing was the acquisition of a 5-acre
parcel at 1475 North College Avenue by
the Fort Collins Land Bank to be held for
a future affordable housing development.
The Land Bank Program was established
in 2001 to purchase properties in the
path of development that, due to a lack of
infrastructure or other constraints, could
be acquired at a discount; and when the
properties appreciate in value five or more
years later, sell them below market value
to allow for the development of affordable
housing. The program can sell properties at
a maximum of 90 percent of market value,
although many land bank properties have
sold at a much higher discount. The North
College Avenue site in the BRT Corridor is
expected to redevelop into 75 affordable
housing units in the future. This property
lacks access to North College Avenue
and will need to be aggregated with other
properties or gain easement access, or access
to the recommended realignment of Mason
Street, before development can occur.
The existing City Land Bank Program can
be used to acquire additional properties
for affordable development. As noted,
the corridor is one of the more affordable
areas of the city and some properties may
not be currently feasible for development
given existing infrastructure constraints.
There may therefore be opportunities
to acquire additional properties at a
discounted price for future development.
In recent years, URAs
throughout the state have
been using URA funds to
support the development
of affordable housing.
URAs have started to
make it a priority to
provide gap financing
for projects within their
boundaries that include
affordable housing. A
recent example took place
in Wheat Ridge, CO where
Renew Wheat Ridge,
the City’s URA program,
provided TIF funds to
support the conversion of
an older 108-room hotel
into 97 multifamily units
for workforce housing.
The new residential
development, Prospect
Park Apartments, includes
studio, 1-, and 2-bedroom
units at rental rates below
market rate for the local
workforce. It also has
residential amenities with
a fitness room, co-working
space, storage units, and
dog park. The developer
received financial gap
assistance from the URA
to provide the additional
improvements and
amenities. The City and
the developer worked
together to create an
affordable housing
development that met
the standards of the City
with below market rents,
exterior improvements,
and residential amenities.
The hotel conversion cost
approximately $10.7 million
to develop and received
$400,000 in public subsidy
as a TIF reimbursement.
CASE STUDY
WHEAT RIDGE URA
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
56
EXHIBIT A
57 SECTION 06: STRATEGIES FOR PRESERVING & INCREASING AFFORDABILITY
NORTH COLLEGE URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY
The North College Urban Renewal Authority
(URA) was established in 2004 and
encompasses most of the North College MAX
BRT Corridor. The URA has 7 years left to
generate and collect tax increment financing
(TIF) dollars from new development and
redevelopment within the URA boundaries.
The URA has approximately $20 million of
TIF funds that must be used before the URA
expires in 2029 to support specific priorities
within the plan area. Any remaining funds at
expiration will be remitted back to each taxing
entity. The URA is not a durable long-term
source of funding, but it can support specific
projects and goals before its expiration.
The North College URA adopted a Community
Investment Plan in 2020 that provides
guidance on how to invest unpledged TIF
dollars through the duration of the URA. The
Plan identifies three main priority areas:
• Complete, Vibrant Neighborhood
• Community Hub
• Infrastructure Improvements
Each priority area includes an investment
plan with short-, medium-, and long-term
strategies and a recommended revenue
allocation. Specific recommendations from
the Community Investment Plan also support
affordable housing strategies and incentives
included in this section such as, small business
support, acquire property for redevelopment,
repayments fund community objectives, forge
development partnerships, continue and
complete infrastructure projects, and fund
legacy projects.
The following sections provide specific
actions recommended for the URA in support
of the Community Investment Plan and
redevelopment that includes affordable
housing.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Gap Financing for
Affordable Housing
The City of Fort Collins URA has prioritized
commercial and mixed-use developments. It
is recommended that the North College URA
provide gap financing for more residential
developments that meet the affordable
housing goals for the corridor.
The amount of gap financing required for
residential projects with a percentage of
affordable units is estimated below in Figure
Figure 34: Estimated Gap Financing Required for Affordability
EXHIBIT A
34. The estimates are based on a 5-story
multifamily project with 65 rental units. Two
scenarios were tested with 10% affordable
units (7 units) and 20 percent affordable
units (13 units). Both scenarios apply the
TOD Overlay recommendations of increased
density to 5-stories and parking reductions
for affordable housing developments. Each
scenario requires a subsidy to reach a
developer return within industry standards.
The 10 percent affordable scenario requires
approximately $2.6 million in subsidy or
$40,000 per unit, which is about 13 percent of
the total development costs. The 20 percent
affordable scenario requires approximately
$2.9 million in subsidy or $44,000 per
unit, which is about 16 percent of the total
development costs.
Key Infrastructure Projects
The west side of North College Avenue has
various detriments for development due to the
lack of key infrastructure. Regional stormwater
improvements are needed to allow for new
development of significant density and scale.
Additionally, there are multiple sites that lack
street frontage or connection to North College
Avenue and require street connections or
easements. The URA could provide funding to
support stormwater, and street connections to
help catalyze development on the west side of
North College Avenue. The proposed Mason
Street Extension is a key infrastructure project
that would improve access for parcels west
of North College with a future intersection at
Bristlecone Drive with a traffic signal on North
College Avenue. Additionally, the City owns a
parcel west of North College Avenue that has
plans for stormwater improvements that would
benefit surrounding properties in the area. It is
recommended to continue to invest in regional
stormwater solutions and street accessibility
improvements for the west side of North
College Avenue.
New URA Plan
The City should consider creating a new urban
renewal plan in the North College corridor
to implement the recommendations of the
existing URA plan and this study beyond its
2029 expiration. The expected growth over
the 2020-2045 time period will not support
BRT investment unless development forecasts
and area densities are increased. The
feasibility of a new urban renewal area and
plan should be explored through discussions
with each taxing entity. With the revised state
statute, C.R.S. 31-25-107 (3.5), each taxing
entity must agree to inclusion in the tax
increment financing (TIF) and a county impact
report is required. Additionally, a new blight
study and plan is required to establish a new
URA. It is recommended to focus on areas of
the corridor where redevelopment is desired,
require significant infrastructure investment,
and have plans for development.
Metro Districts
Larger development projects may seek to use
a metro district to pay for project infrastructure
costs. Fort Collins has modified its metro
district service plan policies to require districts
to provide “extraordinary public benefits” to
be approved. These benefits can fall into the
categories of Environmental Sustainability,
Critical Public Infrastructure, Smart Growth
Management, and Strategic Priorities, and
for which there is an overall scoring system.
This last category includes items such as
Affordable Housing, Infill Redevelopment and
Economic Health Outcomes that are applicable
to the goals of this plan. A number of recently
approved metro districts successfully gained
affordable housing at 80 percent AMI or below
(listed below). All of these developments were
approved by a different iteration of the City’s
metro district service plan policies, but illustrate
how affordable housing goals can be met.
• Montava - 4,400 units with 10
percent being affordable (440 units)
• Waterfield - 498 units with 10
percent being affordable (50 units)
• Northfield - 442 units with 15
percent being affordable (63 units)
Additional projects in the corridor seeking
metro district approvals should be required to
provide affordable housing consistent with the
recommended area goals.
The Arvada Urban
Renewal Authority was
created in 1981 and the
City Center Plan Area
was designated at that
time. The Plan addressed
building, façade, and
streetscape improvements
in the historic Olde Town
commercial district. The
Plan also assembled 26
acres of blighted land next
to Olde Town that was
redeveloped with infill
housing. The City Center
URA Plan Area expired
in 2006. The City formed
the Olde Town Station
URA Plan Area in 2009
to address development
and infrastructure needs in
anticipation of the opening
of the RTD Commuter Rail
line and Olde Town station.
The focus of the new URA
was station improvements
including a P3 with City,
URA, and RTD to build a
parking structure at the
station and to support
the transit-oriented
development on the former
RTD surface parking lot as
well as adjacent private
properties. Establishing the
new URA required a blight
study to define a boundary
of eligible properties. It is a
much smaller plan area but
does overlap with a portion
of the previous plan area.
CASE STUDY - OLDE
TOWN ARVADA URA
58
EXHIBIT A
The City of Englewood has
a Business Initiation grant
program that provides
grants of up to $5,000
for a storefront business
in a commercial district.
The City also provides
a Business Acceleration
Grant of up to $10,000 for
permanent improvements
to existing businesses in
operation for 2+ years.
In both cases, applicants
must complete a business
training program with
SBDC and develop a
business plan.
CASE STUDY -
ENGLEWOOD SMALL
BUSINESS GRANTS
LOCAL COMMERCIAL STRATEGIES AND INCENTIVES
This section addresses strategies and
incentives for commercial development,
specifically balancing redevelopment and
revitalization of commercial properties
with the preservation of locally owned and
operated retail and service businesses. A
particular challenge is the preservation of local
small businesses along North College Avenue,
which has been magnified and compounded
by the pandemic. Locally owned and locally
serving retail, restaurants, and service
businesses support local households and the
quality of life in the community. The following
strategies and incentives are recommended
to help support local businesses in the area.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
New and Emerging Business Grants
Most of the available grants and loans are
focused on improvements to commercial
properties. It is more challenging to provide
incentives to individual businesses. The
primary sources of small business assistance
are Small Business Development Centers
(SBDC). SBDCs are a partnership of state
(Colorado Office of Economic Development
and International Trade), federal (Small
Business Administration), and local (chambers
and economic development corporations)
organizations. Larimer SBDC is in Fort Collins
and serves Larimer County. Some cities also
provide small startup grants while others
establish a revolving loan program (RLP). Fort
Collins had a RLF that was established a few
months prior to the pandemic, however it was
suspended at that time. It is recommended
the City consider bringing this program
back or refocus it as grants instead of loans
similar to the City of Englewood program
described in the case study on this page.
Building Improvement and
Redevelopment Incentives
The City and/or URA can provide grants
and loans to local property owners
and businesses for site and building
improvements. This funding could be
used for property improvements such
as streetscapes, walkways, landscaping,
façade repairs and enhancements, new
signage, and other building upgrades to
enhance the state of repair and aesthetics
of businesses in the area. In 2017 and 2018,
the URA offered a façade improvement
program that no one took advantage of. If
this or a similar program is brought back,
additional promotion and education would
be needed to encourage its use and
effectiveness. Additionally, public assistance
can be provided to support redevelopment
projects including property acquisitions and
gap financing using tax increment financing
(TIF) to make a desirable project feasible.
Multicultural Business
& Entrepreneur Center
The Multicultural Business & Entrepreneur
Center (MBEC) is a free bilingual (English &
Spanish) center that provides business owners
and entrepreneurs easy access to business
service providers, resources, mentorship
and specialty training. It also connects them
with critical resources to create, launch
and grow a business in Fort Collins.
Capital Projects Business Liaison
This is a new position at the city who
will work on the construction toolkit
and help provide coordination and
consistency across the city when it comes
to projects that impacts businesses.
Commercial Lease Strategies
Commercial lease strategies can be used by
property owners to support local businesses
and mitigate the impact of high lease rates
on tenants. These strategies would need to
59
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 60
be encouraged and potentially subsidized by
the City to support and preserve economic
development. Commercial lease strategies
include percentage rent leases, graduated
lease rates, and short-term leases.
Percentage Rent Leases
The rent paid by the tenant is based on a
percentage of the sales made by the business.
This often includes a base rental rate that is
a reduced triple net (NNN) lease rate and can
cover taxes, insurance, and maintenance. In
addition to the base rate, a percentage of the
revenue from sales above a set base level is
paid as rent. This lease strategy works best
for businesses with revenue tied directly to
sales such as restaurants and clothing stores.
Graduated Lease Rates
A graduated lease can attract and support
new businesses. The graduate lease
structure increases rental rates as the
business grows and becomes more viable.
For example, a base rate in year 1 covers
the costs of space (utilities, taxes, insurance,
and maintenance) and then the rental rate
increases annually as the business grows.
Short Term Leases
A short-term lease is typically for six
months to a year and is great for pop-
up businesses or incubator/start-up
businesses. The rental rate is much lower
than the market rate and is usually provided
while recruiting a longer-term tenant.
Flexible Incubator Space
A business incubator space for local
businesses was an idea that came from
previous outreach done by the city to
inform future Urban Renewal Authority
investments. A flexible business incubator
could provide space for new local businesses
to get started or could be a temporary
space for businesses that are displaced by
redevelopment in the North College area.
For displaced businesses the space could
serve as a temporary location until they are
able to move back to their original location
once redevelopment is finished. A business
incubator could be a space owned and
managed by the city or an existing non-profit
or could a program of rent subsidies for local
businesses displaced by redevelopment
until they can return to a permanent space.
EXHIBIT A
61 SECTION 07: SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS & TRACKING PERFORMANCEEXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 62
Summary of Recommendations & Tracking Performance
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 62
EXHIBIT A
63 SECTION 07: SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS & TRACKING PERFORMANCE
Summary of Recommendations & Tracking Performance
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 64
Recommendation
Type Phase Recommendation
Transportation
Near-Term
Fixed-route Transit Realignments:
• Create new high-frequency bus route on North College Avenue
within existing general-purpose lanes at 15-minute frequency
• Realign route 8 on Blue Spruce Drive, Redwood Street, and Linden
Street at 30-minute frequency
• Eliminate route 81
Micro-transit Zone
Consolidate existing local bus stops into new MAX stations at signalized
intersections (with basic amenities such as shelters, benches, trash cans, and
pedestrian scale lighting)
New shared use path on the west side of North College
Avenue (between the canal and Hibdon Court)
Adopt amendments to the Mason Street realignment
identified in the Master Streets Plan
New signals: Suniga Road, Bristlecone Drive
Improved bicycle and pedestrian crossings: Conifer Street/Red Cedar
Circle/Jerome Street, Suniga Road/Jerome Street, Vine Drive/Jerome
Street, Bristlecone Drive/Red Cedar Circle, Hickory Street/Mason Street
New buffered or protected bike lanes: interim protected bike lanes on North
College Avenue; Jerome Street, Blue Spruce Drive, and Bristlecone Drive
Mid-Term
Business Access Transit (BAT) lanes on North College Avenue
Increase bus frequency and service hours: MAX on North College Avenue
with 15-minute frequency and route 8 with 15-minute frequency
Creation of mobility hub near Willox Lane turnaround
Shared-use paths for the length of North College
Avenue on both sides of the roadway
Fully built MAX stations with multimodal options
Bus turnaround north of Terry Lake Road
Construct medians south of Conifer Street
New buffered or protected bike lanes or shared use paths with
planned roadway connections: Mason Street, Red Cedar Circle
Long-Term Increase bus frequency to 10-minutes; re-evaluate feasibility and benefits
of interlining MAX on North College Avenue with MAX on Mason Street
Table 4: Summary of All Recommendations
Table 4 displays a summarized list of all the recommendations included in this plan organized by the subject of recommendation
and whether the recommendation is near-, mid-, or long-term.
EXHIBIT A
65 SECTION 07: SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS & TRACKING PERFORMANCE
Development
Requirements
Near-Term
Establish North College area specific TOD Overlay
Modify residential setback from College Ave
Increase building height allowance
Establish connectivity requirements
Establish outdoor space requirements
Establish requirements for building dominant block faces
Adjust Architectural Standards
Mid-Term Provide regional detention and reduce LID requirements
Strategies for
Preserving
& Increasing
Affordability
Near-Term
Identify opportunities to use the Urban Renewal Authority’s financing
tools to encourage affordable development in the area
Require metro districts created for large developments to
provide specific and considerable public benefits
Rezone the North College Mobile Home Park to the Manufactured Housing District
Continue to leverage the city’s existing land bank
Establish an affordable housing goal for the study area
Encourage and subsidize commercial lease strategies where appropriate
Develop new and emerging business grants for local businesses
Provide incentives for building improvements and redevelopments for local businesses
Recommendation
Type Phase Recommendation
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 66
TRACKING PERFORMANCE
As the recommendations in the North College
MAX BRT Plan are implemented, tracking
the performance of improvements will be
important. Tracking different performance
measures will help ensure the project is
addressing community concerns and serving
community needs. Performance measures
should measure the effectiveness of
improvements achieving the corridor vision
and addressing the identified need, both of
which are included in the beginning of this
document. The following is a list of potential
performance measures the City of Fort Collins
can track over time to ensure improvements
are addressing the needs they were intending
to and providing a direction for adjustments if
they are not performing up to expectations.
• Mode-share
Tracking the percentage of trips by mode
made to, from, and within the North College
area can be an effective way to measure
how convenient and comfortable the multi-
modal transportation network is and how
well development is serving active modes
of transportation. The city can create a
target for each mode to see how well
improvements to transportation and land
use are helping reduce the proportion of
people driving along and increasing the
proportion of people using active modes
and people taking transit. Changes in mode-
share not only reflect the effectiveness of
transportation infrastructure but also how
the density, urban design, and land use
mix of nearby development support transit
ridership and active mode use.
• Crash History
Improvements to safety in the area can
be monitored by tracking the number of
crashes in the study area and identifying
if they go down significantly after
improvements are implemented. This
performance measure should also look at
the number of crashes involving people
using active modes and the number of
crashes that resulted in serious injury or
death. Tracking crashes by these additional
attributes will provide more information
about the safety challenges occurring at
each location and how well improvements
address the different safety concerns.
• Speed and Reliability of Transit
Monitoring changes to speed and reliability
of bus routes can provide important
information about when additional transit
improvements are needed (like BAT lanes)
and whether implemented projects are
successful in improving transit performance.
Tracking speed and reliability is very
important for people choosing to use transit
so monitoring this metric is tied closely
to understanding changes in ridership
numbers.
• Surveys
Regularly surveying transit riders, residents,
and employees through on-board surveys
or travel surveys can provide valuable
information on how well the existing transit
system is serving transportation needs, as
well as how comfortable and convenient it
is to ride. Items to ask transit riders could
include:
»Things that are working well
about current transit services
»Improvements they would like
to see to the transit system
»Challenges they experience
accessing transit
»Needed service changes or new
connections they would like to see
• Affordability
The city could track the efficacy of different
affordability policies by tracking prices of for
sale and for rent homes and retail space in
the North College area and creating targets
for the proportions of property that fall into
different affordability ranges. This would
allow the city to understand if adopted
policies and new developments are helping
create a healthy mix of options for people
of different income levels wanting to live or
operate a business in the area. An overall
goal of 20 percent affordable at 80 percent
AMI or below for-sale housing and 60
percent AMI or below for rental housing is
recommended.
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 67
Public Engagement
Summaries
Appendix A
EXHIBIT A
68 APPENDICES
Existing Conditions
Report
Appendix B
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 69
Alternatives Analysis Report
Appendix C
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 69
EXHIBIT A
70 SECTION 06: STRATEGIES FOR PRESERVING & INCREASING AFFORDABILITY
North College Roadway Design Cutsheets
Appendix D
EXHIBIT A
NORTH COLLEGE MAX BRT FINAL PLAN REPORT 71
Conceptual Estimate of Project Cost for North College Reconstruction
Appendix E
EXHIBIT A