EPIC Gate Access on Stuart Street

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The City of Fort Collins is evaluating long-term options to improve traffic flow from Edora Pool Ice Center (EPIC). Traffic studies are currently underway to assess whether the existing south gate on Stuart Street should be renovated to help with managing traffic. The goals of this evaluation are to enhance safety for patrons, reduce congestion and ensure reliable emergency access to the facility.

After receiving input from neighbors near EPIC, the City will not permanently open the south gate on Stuart Street at this time.

The City hosted an open house on Monday, March 2, 2026, to provide additional context for local neighbors and share the criteria for when the gate on Stuart Street may open. Click here to review the presentation boards displayed at the open house and read a summary of the meeting.

Current Conditions and Concerns

As visitation at Edora Pool Ice Center (EPIC) has grown over time, combined with the aging of the existing infrastructure, the need for more suitable and safe access to this busy facility has increased. Currently, there is only one full-time entry and exit point for the facility, which can be accessed from Riverside Avenue. On the south side of the facility, there is an emergency gate adjacent to Stuart Street that was installed when the facility was built.

Map of EPIC facility and roads nearby


During events where a high volume of cars may be coming and going from the facility, the emergency gate on the south side of the facility can be temporarily opened to Stuart Street. Opening the gate enables traffic to flow more freely from the facility, reducing the number of backups that occur on the drive towards Riverside Avenue. These backups create a safety hazard in the event an emergency vehicle needs to access the facility quickly, as well as a high volume of congestion within the parking lot, posing concerns for pedestrians.

About Edora Pool Ice Center

Built in 1987 and expanded in 2003, Edora Pool Ice Center (EPIC) is a high-use recreation facility located in east Fort Collins. The facility includes two sheets of ice as well as an indoor 50-meter x 25-yard pool, two 3-meter and two 1-meter diving boards, and separate warm water therapy and instructional pools.

EPIC has the highest visitation of any recreation facility in Fort Collins and hosts more than one million patrons each year, including visitation for large-scale ice and aquatic competitions.

The City of Fort Collins is evaluating long-term options to improve traffic flow from Edora Pool Ice Center (EPIC). Traffic studies are currently underway to assess whether the existing south gate on Stuart Street should be renovated to help with managing traffic. The goals of this evaluation are to enhance safety for patrons, reduce congestion and ensure reliable emergency access to the facility.

After receiving input from neighbors near EPIC, the City will not permanently open the south gate on Stuart Street at this time.

The City hosted an open house on Monday, March 2, 2026, to provide additional context for local neighbors and share the criteria for when the gate on Stuart Street may open. Click here to review the presentation boards displayed at the open house and read a summary of the meeting.

Current Conditions and Concerns

As visitation at Edora Pool Ice Center (EPIC) has grown over time, combined with the aging of the existing infrastructure, the need for more suitable and safe access to this busy facility has increased. Currently, there is only one full-time entry and exit point for the facility, which can be accessed from Riverside Avenue. On the south side of the facility, there is an emergency gate adjacent to Stuart Street that was installed when the facility was built.

Map of EPIC facility and roads nearby


During events where a high volume of cars may be coming and going from the facility, the emergency gate on the south side of the facility can be temporarily opened to Stuart Street. Opening the gate enables traffic to flow more freely from the facility, reducing the number of backups that occur on the drive towards Riverside Avenue. These backups create a safety hazard in the event an emergency vehicle needs to access the facility quickly, as well as a high volume of congestion within the parking lot, posing concerns for pedestrians.

About Edora Pool Ice Center

Built in 1987 and expanded in 2003, Edora Pool Ice Center (EPIC) is a high-use recreation facility located in east Fort Collins. The facility includes two sheets of ice as well as an indoor 50-meter x 25-yard pool, two 3-meter and two 1-meter diving boards, and separate warm water therapy and instructional pools.

EPIC has the highest visitation of any recreation facility in Fort Collins and hosts more than one million patrons each year, including visitation for large-scale ice and aquatic competitions.

  • Open House Summary (March 2, 2026)

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    Thank you to the 79 community members who attended the open house at EPIC on Monday, March 2. We appreciate the thoughtful questions, conversations and feedback shared throughout the evening.

    Attendees reviewed background information and historical context, concept renderings of potential access improvements, traffic study results and the criteria that guide when the south gate may be opened.

    Click here to view the PDF boards shared at the open house.

    Key Information Shared:

    • The south gate on Stuart Street will not be permanently opened.
    • Traffic studies were conducted in August, November and December 2025 to better understand existing conditions.
    • To study traffic impacts during peak activity, the gate has been open during large events since 2023. The number of openings by year is:
      1. 2023: 13
      2. 2024: 14
      3. 2025: 13
    • Concept designs illustrate potential accessibility and safety enhancements, additional sidewalks, improved pedestrian and bicycle safety and a new ADA-accessible path to the Veterans Memorial.

    Criteria for Opening the Gate

    The gate will be opened for vehicle traffic exiting EPIC if one or more of the following conditions occur:

    1. An event or events are expected to have more than 450 people leaving EPIC within a one-hour window.
    2. The parking lot exceeds 85% capacity (281 of 330 spaces).
    3. Emergency Services determines opening the gate is necessary.
    4. It is more than two hours before school begins or after school ends at Riffenburgh Elementary School and Ridgeview Classical School.

    These procedures will be followed by City of Fort Collins Recreation Department staff for regional and local events hosted at EPIC.

    What We Heard and Next Steps

    We heard a range of perspectives regarding neighborhood traffic, pedestrian and bicycle safety, school circulation and overall access to EPIC. Your feedback is an important part of this process and will help inform next steps as we refine operational procedures.

    We will continue to share updates on this webpage as the project moves forward. If you would like to receive future updates directly, please subscribe using the link on the top-right corner of this page.

    If you have questions or concerns regarding this project, please reach out to project manager Aaron Harris at AHarris@FortCollins.gov.

    If you have questions regarding speed bumps and the Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Program, please reach out to Lance McCrory at LMcCrory@FortCollins.gov.

  • Update: December 3, 2025

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    • After receiving input from several residents from neighborhoods near and around EPIC, the City is suspending its consideration of permanently opening the south gate at this time.
    • The City will continue to evaluate design options and complete the traffic studies in the area. The City will host an informational session on Monday, March 2 to allow for dialogue and Q&A with staff and project managers.


    Over the past year, the City has been conducting a comprehensive study to determine the appropriate long-term use of the south Stuart Street gate at EPIC.

    As part of this evaluation process, the City has temporarily opened the gate during 13 large events in 2025 to address immediate safety needs for event attendees. To date, the gate has not been opened or used during morning or afternoon pick up/drop off times at the nearby elementary school.

    The City will be exploring the following steps during the site evaluation at EPIC over the next several months:

    • Feasibility, Design, and Cost Analysis: Evaluation of potential design options and associated costs related to safety and emergency access at the facility, including during large events which happen approximately 10-20 times per year on evenings and weekends.
    • Traffic Study: Assessing impacts of the gate being open/closed across multiple seasons, during large events and typical weekly operations. The first phase of this study was completed in summer 2025, the second phase is currently taking place (December 1-6). Note: Upon completion, staff will review the data in collaboration with traffic experts, the City’s internal operations team and consultants to evaluate the impact of having the gate open during large events. The City will also evaluate additional solutions such as placement of special event traffic staff or adjustments to traffic signals during events to help increase safety.
    • Community Input & Engagement: Once the study is complete, staff will host an open house for neighbors to learn more about the traffic study findings, provide feedback about large event impacts and ask questions about the project. This input will help inform the final recommendation. Staff will also be communicating with neighbors in person throughout the next few months to both inform and receive further feedback and information. All feedback shared with City Leaders to date has been provided to the project team for review.

    While the City continues to assess the site, no immediate or permanent changes will be made to the operations at EPIC.

Page last updated: 03 Mar 2026, 12:13 PM