West Elizabeth Bus Rapid Transit Design Project

West Elizabeth Street is a major east-west arterial in Fort Collins that connects the Colorado State University (CSU) Main and Foothills campuses along a dense corridor of housing, restaurants, and retail.

In order to continue connecting those areas safely and efficiently, Transfort launched plans to add bus rapid transit (BRT) along the corridor.

BRT systems typically offer frequent trips on a fixed bus route. MAX service along the Mason Corridor in Fort Collins, which opened in 2014, is a local example of BRT service. The BRT along West Elizabeth will share a lane with vehicle traffic.

This map shows the project area, from Mason Street and the CSU campus to Overland Trail via West Plum Street and West Elizabeth Street.

About the project

The West Elizabeth Corridor will provide a direct, three-mile transportation connection between CSU's Main and Foothills Campuses, and will link directly to the existing MAX at Laurel Station. The corridor was chosen as a future BRT route due to its function as a critical three-mile link for CSU students and as a growing business and multi-family housing district.

More than 24,000 residents and 20,000 jobs are along the West Elizabeth corridor. This project's design will incorporate infrastructure making it safe, easy and intuitive for all modes including transit, bicycling, walking and driving.

What’s happening now?

In summer 2023 the City of Fort Collins and CSU kicked off the final design project for BRT service along the West Elizabeth Street corridor. 90% design of the Foothills Transit Station area and 60% design of the remainder of the West Elizabeth BRT Corridor will be complete by Spring 2026.

As of January 2026, design work on this project is paused while the City evaluates funding opportunities for construction. Once construction funds are secured, the design projects will resume and designs will be finalized. There's currently no timeline in place for the completion of design and construction.

Work completed on this project as of January 2026:

• Development of a project management plan
• Environmental clearances and mitigation
• Public outreach
• Vehicle specification documentation
• Preliminary construction plans, including:
  • Multi-modal roadway design
  • Structural plans
  • Drainage and water quality
  • Erosion control
  • Floodplain analysis
  • Utilities
  • Lighting/power
  • Traffic impact study
  • Landscaping
  • Environmental mitigation
  • Transit stops
  • Communications systems

These steps were necessary to advance the West Elizabeth project forward for possible Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding and future implementation.

In 2023 the City was awarded a grant for construction of the Foothills Transit Station and roundabout at Overland Trail and West Elizabeth Street. This funding was canceled by the U.S. Department of Transportation in December 2025. As a result there are no funds available for construction.

How to use this page

This is an interactive webpage allowing you to subscribe for project updates, ask questions and browse project FAQs, which we update on a regular basis in response to questions we receive.