A Brief History of Transportation in Fort Collins (in Pictures)
Like any other town in America, Fort Collins has changed a lot over the course of its history, especially its transportation. From its humble beginnings as a Civil War outpost, the Fort has seen the answer to how its residents get around change significantly with the centuries. Let’s take a brief look into the history of transportation in Fort Collins.
After the fort was disbanded following the conclusion of the Civil War, Fort Collins struggled to survive as a small agrarian community. As a result, the city was desperate for something to put it on the map, and was quick to grant a perpetual right-of-way to railroad companies that wanted to connect the town to Denver and Cheyenne in the mid-19th century. Since then, trains have largely fallen out of favor and squeezed growth in the city’s core as it has urbanized.
CSU was founded shortly after the railroads were introduced in town, and helped spur development of roadways and infrastructure in town.
Today, roadways in central Fort Collins have become far more crowded than the city’s founders probably ever thought they could be, with commuters, pedestrians and myriad businesses all competing for space. Still, remnants of the town’s quieter past can still be seen downtown.
With the rapid growth Fort Collins began to see near the end of the 20th century, the city has had to adapt to the burgeoning transportation needs of its increasing population. One strategy the city has used to address this issue was by forging 285 miles of bike trails that weave throughout the area.
The city also expanded transportation options for its residents in the streets by installing the MAX rapid transit system in 2014.
Fort Collins has changed and grown significantly since its inception, which has forced the city to adapt to the changing transportation needs of its residents. Today, the city continues to seek a balance as it integrates the rural roots of its transportation and infrastructure with the needs of an increasingly urbanized population.
