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 has 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 (External link)

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 supporting all modes including transit, bicycling, walking, and driving.

What’s happening now?(External link)

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. The design should be 100% complete in 2026.

This stage's work includes:

• Development of a project management plan
• Environmental clearances and mitigation
• Public outreach
• Vehicle procurement
• Construction bid documents and 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 are necessary to advance the West Elizabeth project forward for possible Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding and future implementation.

How to use this page(External link)

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.