The University and the City of Fort Collins have collaborated in the establishment of a Wikimap that works as a shared community forum for everyone interested in biking issues in Fort Collins.
Those interested can draw bike path suggestions, leave comments and upload photos of specific places they feel are problem areas or frequent biking routes.
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This tool also allows the user to add where they would like to see bicycle-specific infrastructure, such as bike share stations and additional bike parking.
“We’re really trying to hear from everybody: students, staff, faculty at CSU and the community at large,” said Tessa Greegor, FC Bikes manager and project manager for the city bike plan.
Input provided to the Wikimap will go toward updating the city’s bike plan and creating the first serious bike plan component of the CSU campus master plan, according to Aaron Fodge, the University’s alternative transportation manager.
“The more people that can go on there and share their experiences and challenges, that’s going to help us out a lot in terms of how we design the campus in the future and how we go after money for upgrades,” Fodge said.
Reaching out to the people of Fort Collins through nontraditional forums has been successful thus far. More than 150 people have responded to the website before any official announcement to campus, according to Jessica Juriga, regional office director of Toole Design Group, the firm that developed the Wikimap.
“It has never been done before, so it’s opening it up to a lot more,” said Joy Childress, Traffic and Bicycle Education Enforcement Program coordinator. “Traditionally, it’s always done through forums where people have to come and voice their opinions.”
The map went public early February and will close March 21. After analysis, a presentation to the master plan committee of the University will occur in August. Adoption by city council is anticipated for the end of 2014 with implementations of those recommendations to follow, according to Greegor.
Updating these bike plans will be essential for CSU and the city to better their bicycle friendly status, according to Greegor. The University has a current bicycle friendly status of Gold and is working toward Platinum, while the city has Platinum and working toward Diamond.
“These plans will help identify recommendations for us to get to that next level,” Greegor said.
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If you would rather relay your input in person, a community Bicycle Master Plan open house is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. March 12 in the Columbine Room of the Lincoln Center.
Collegian Green Beat Reporter Laren Cyphers can be reached at news@collegian.com.
