CSU prioritizing bicycle and pedestrian safety through big investments

A view of the Shields Street Underpass from West
Elizabeth Street. Image credit: NFRMPO Staff

A long awaited bicycle and pedestrian underpass at the intersection of Shields Street and Elizabeth Street in Fort Collins will be fully open in time for the first day of CSU’s fall semester this coming Monday. The $10.8 million project opened late Wednesday and will now divert thousands of cyclists and pedestrians traveling to and from campus each day under an intersection that carries around 50,000 daily vehicles. According to City Engineer Joe Olsen, the project has been on the city's radar for years because West Elizabeth Street is the highest-volume bike corridor in the city.

This project is one of many the University has completed in partnership with the City of Fort Collins. Other projects include an underpass across Prospect Road along Centre Avenue, as well as signalized crossings at Laurel Street on the north end of campus and at the BNSF Railway on the east end. CSU has spent $25 million within city rights-of-way to improve access to campus.

Read more on this project and others from the Coloradoan.