EPIC Gate Access on Stuart Street

The City is evaluating long-term options for improving 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 and facility update are to enhance safety for patrons, reduce congestion, and ensure reliable emergency access to the facility.

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.

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 amount 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.

Next Steps

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 facility evaluation process, staff have temporarily opened the gate during approximately 10-12 large events in the past year 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—summer and winter—as well as during large events and typical weekly operations. The first phase of this study was completed this summer, and 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 impacts 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 be hosting a few open houses 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.

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.