[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6051486,"mediaKeyId","3443913-d64f88ae9543cd58bc8fc21663b2a4a5","parentId",3443913,"title","City presents climate progress and electrification priorities; staff say 2050 carbon neutrality still the long‑term target","audioSeconds",215,"startMs",2771000,"endMs",2986000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443913-d64f88ae9543cd58bc8fc21663b2a4a5&start=2771&end=2986","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443913-d64f88ae9543cd58bc8fc21663b2a4a5/thumbnail_2771000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6051486/Fort-Collins-City/Larimer-County/Colorado/City-presents-climate-progress-and-electrification-priorities-staff-say-2050-carbon-neutrality-still-the-longterm-target","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6051486-e0f06d1b865e2e4e37d9caef771c0671/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141307&Signature=kVTaYaKPBvuWtN2cuFzT3E1y-3-sKQ-SffwQSvz4kxq1Qd3eH-yeGMRjX5RLywFoaOCKksIQ3QlvXtfv4Yv31ct0hk3YpUqgAZk72w6if1L2x6VDe5aX8WuQ1LADm1W0AiYpagcTtXsY12GZa7rna2ON0T--OdSkqrHuLJfAWN1DFdgQ6t9ogo71JvtcLeunqfBk~zikoPyMn~10qU7zS0K9J9mju9G0U-6YbQCRITiawyorJEeoTBgmfgL-CEdmh-ONzmHX4WD5RrdrxgrCjbXho~f3phBBqpfzrXcAi23sMJNhWC0WkKcjtS2sU3Axx~DQDVR2ubmxgaLBHa5c~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Fort Collins CO","date","2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","article","Chief Sustainability Officer Jacob Castillo and Sustainability staff briefed the council on progress under the Our Climate Future framework, providing emissions updates, recent investments and near‑term electrification priorities.

Honore Depew and Brian Tholl presented data showing the community greenhouse‑gas inventory through 2023 and an electricity‑mix projection to 2030. Staff reported Fort Collins’ community emissions declined about 27 percent below the 2005 baseline as of 2023 and that per‑capita emissions declined about 44 percent over the same period. Staff credited reductions in industrial emissions and a cleaner regional electric grid driven by Platte River Power Authority projects. At the same time, transportation and natural‑gas (methane) emissions remain a large portion of local sources.

Staff summarized 2024 investments funded with early revenue from a voter‑approved 2050 (tax) allocation and said those projects targeted energy affordability, resilience and planning, including building‑level pilots and neighborhood resilience investments. Presenters confirmed the City has five electric buses in service and six additional electric buses on order.

Key electrification work areas staff highlighted: building energy codes and pilots for building performance standards; electric vehicle (EV) readiness actions for new development; fleet electrification; and small‑engine equipment (lawn and garden) electrification, including statewide Regulation 29 compliance windows that limit use of certain gas‑powered equipment during summer ozone episodes.

Council members asked about regional sources of air pollution (including oil and gas production outside the city), why some interim climate targets are likely to be missed, and how the City’s roadmap ties to near‑term budget and program choices. Staff said it is unlikely the City will fully achieve the 2026 and 2030 interim targets without additional measures beyond those already planned but emphasized that the 2050 carbon neutrality goal remains the strategic long‑term target and that staff will deliver a refreshed framework and strategic funding plan for council review later in the year.

Staff said next steps include internal and board engagement, refining the Our Climate Future framework, producing a strategic funding plan, and returning with recommendations in late 2025. Council asked for follow‑up material on the City’s building‑code timeline, the PRPA electricity mix assumptions, fleet electrification statistics and funding alternatives.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fort Collins City Council Work Session 5/13/25","oneSentenceSummary","Sustainability staff told the council that Fort Collins has cut community greenhouse gases since 2005 but that transportation and natural‑gas emissions remain the primary local contributors; staff outlined building codes, fleet electrification and small‑engine electrification as priority levers.","taxTitle","Fort Collins City, Larimer County, Colorado","taxId",5777,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6051493,"Fort Collins transit team outlines three constrained scenarios to address $13 million funding gap",670,1810000,2480000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443913-d64f88ae9543cd58bc8fc21663b2a4a5&start=1810&end=2480","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443913-d64f88ae9543cd58bc8fc21663b2a4a5/thumbnail_1810000.jpg","/articles/6051493/Fort-Collins-City/Larimer-County/Colorado/Fort-Collins-transit-team-outlines-three-constrained-scenarios-to-address-13-million-funding-gap","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6051493-86c8acac6d2d3ead0f227b4d05c0a80c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141307&Signature=SoSeReRcdB0w6vY6Xt59nnBgXkIplhD8~lqnX4BQOUGQRW8R3Vu-7zBHdoAbT~n3kFagNdzy~7AIQogbr8wShwFwzCt7TCW-hjvrc2Qk40f4kY4OpK0OXQGelH~8uX3ueNrLc78-6KILEXiep3HfJOWXIBO8WzDRsWibANpyThydI8qCQyLvu5Zi9kP58nVXtr82D1EmftRRQfp2FmZJw2ehuH9WF~rXyPzoNDa8mjJTYKl~R64jKEaIxVBgX-nGpi0CyS4LR4B71JLcjQu~9u-NRJsz7GvYCmaDswCwg5EtWHpVryWd12NLTXwYEjkO7yK1H48hcMtulhzLw--qFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City transportation staff and consultants told the City Council that Fort Collins faces an annual transit funding gap of about $13 million after passage of a dedicated transit sales tax, and presented three high‑level service concepts to shape future, fiscally constrained transit scenarios.

Kaylee Bridal, transport director, and Karen Champine (PDT) presented the report and Jason Miller, the consultant, summarized peer agency lessons. The 2019 Transit Master Plan’s full build‑out target was described as a long‑term vision; staff said achieving that vision would have required roughly $15 million per year in additional funding above 2019 needs and that restoring 2019 service levels today would add roughly $3 million more, producing an $18 million gap that the 2023 dedicated transit sales tax reduced by about $5 million to a remaining $13 million shortfall.

Staff said ridership hit a pandemic low in 2021 (about 33% of pre‑pandemic levels), climbed to about 59% in 2024 as service was reinstated and reached nearly 70% year to date in 2025, while service levels have returned to about 86% of pre‑pandemic service. A travel‑demand analysis showed trip‑origin concentrations around Colorado State University, Harmony Road, College Avenue and southeast Fort Collins and found that median trip lengths have shortened (from about 15 minutes in 2019 to about 8 minutes in 2024) and that fewer trips are commuting to work.

The team described three concepts that will be developed into full, mappable scenarios for summer public engagement: (1) Travel Patterns — prioritize direct, high‑frequency corridor service where overall travel is greatest; (2) Rider Demand — prioritize equity and access to serve populations most likely to use transit, with an emphasis on frequent fixed routes; and (3) Condensed Fixed‑Route with Microtransit — concentrate fixed routes on high‑demand corridors and use microtransit (small‑vehicle, zonal on‑demand service that connects riders to the fixed network) to serve lower‑density areas.

Staff emphasized microtransit tradeoffs: zone size and reliability drive rider satisfaction, and microtransit is more expensive on a per‑ride basis (staff cited about $20 per microtransit ride compared with about $7 per fixed‑route ride). The typical microtransit zone size discussed was about three to five square miles served by one to three vehicles; target wait times cited were typically 15–20 minutes.

Council members asked whether scenarios would allow flexible responses to special events, how high‑frequency corridors compare to peer agencies that recovered ridership more quickly, whether microtransit would be fare‑free, and when a final recommendation will return to council. Staff said the scenarios will be refined into full service maps and brought to the public for engagement in June–July, with a final recommendation planned in the fall. Staff also said an advertising contract negotiation is near completion and that revenue from that contract has been included in current planning figures.

No formal policy decision was requested at the work session; staff sought council feedback and guidance on scenario evaluation criteria.","City transit staff presented findings from a transport optimization study, saying ridership remains below pre‑pandemic levels and describing three scenario approaches — travel‑pattern, rider‑demand and condensed fixed‑route with microtransit — to shape a fiscally constrained system within current budgets.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6051497,"Visit Fort Collins reports higher web traffic, says visitation rebounding",1150,100000,1250000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443913-d64f88ae9543cd58bc8fc21663b2a4a5&start=100&end=1250","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443913-d64f88ae9543cd58bc8fc21663b2a4a5/thumbnail_100000.jpg","/articles/6051497/Fort-Collins-City/Larimer-County/Colorado/Visit-Fort-Collins-reports-higher-web-traffic-says-visitation-rebounding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6051497-7e030078220a33238e861cf66cc651fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141307&Signature=IsIdSHUcAkAkhffcpaW89SDtshd8xjap2TDDlRNR15AXNiV58tX1nzguKRuNYi31x3~~w~llmOvdQRbJ2ODYJDFQRKUBmJA3Vh4yDjsGvR6oqC3hYVPo-p2b62W7RTYGAeVJNnTcjlwaT0xRFUi~q3qAAhnFA2CJsB5IubHqXkvUrXHHt51KRJ4xKlkwqUPuistv0BmKtB4~jNgxU3pOwQ4714uLrxW4rWvNnzQKJw32Xk9Vf32wRC76nTdvTH2~7mVXlnc658V5M4xvhkUdldHF7HScoOdnHCt9P6l9tV8-ad1cR9qQm9oW4kNXaoQJnZO-bMvietr3EY~5SEBHeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Visit Fort Collins President and CEO Cynthia Eichler told the Fort Collins City Council at a work session that the tourism nonprofit saw increased online engagement and stronger visitation in 2024 following a website relaunch and expanded marketing.

Cynthia Eichler said the organization completed a website refresh in six months and launched a four‑season digital marketing campaign that produced roughly 21.6 million impressions and drew about 217,000 individual visitors to the site. Eichler said engaged users rose roughly 40 percent year over year and that the organization recorded better visitation numbers than in recent years, calling 2024 “the best numbers we’ve seen since 2017.”

The update emphasized tools and programming the organization uses to support local businesses. Eichler highlighted a new downtown welcome center, now about eight to nine months into operation, which she described as a community hub that hosts pop‑up retail, start‑up mixers and a monthly speaker series in partnership with Colorado State University called “RamTalks.” Visit Fort Collins also cited partnerships that translated national press into booking gains for local restaurants and businesses.

Eichler said sales reached or exceeded pre‑pandemic levels and noted that the Tourism Improvement District (TID) fee supports a four‑person sales team (a senior sales manager, a sales manager, a support role and a team support specialist) focused on group and event bookings. She pointed to youth sports — including youth hockey tournaments that filled more than 1,100 rooms in one event and added additional tournaments in 2025 — as a strong shoulder‑season driver for limited‑service hotels concentrated on the Harmony Corridor.

Council members asked about data granularity and metrics. Eichler said Visit Fort Collins has started a contract with a company that will provide more detailed short‑term rental versus hotel tracking next year; she also said the nonprofit monitors lodging tax and TID fee collections as partial barometers.

Eichler described public‑relations wins, including features in Men’s Journal and Forbes that she said translated into new visitor interest and bookings, and she offered anecdotal business feedback, including a quote that Visit Fort Collins delivers approximately $2.57 in bookings for every dollar spent by one local operator. She closed by saying the organization will continue focusing on year‑round programming, shoulder‑season events and partnerships that link visitors to resident experiences.

Council members thanked the presenters and asked for follow‑up details about short‑term rental tracking, the TID‑funded sales program and the welcome center’s community programming.","Visit Fort Collins told the City Council that a website refresh, seasonal digital advertising and new downtown welcome-center programming helped raise visitation and web engagement in 2024; the organization highlighted continued emphasis on shoulder‑season events and youth sports to stabilize hotel demand.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6051481,"Council hears early proposal to site 600‑space parking garage as first step in Civic Center master plan",353,4777000,5130000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443913-d64f88ae9543cd58bc8fc21663b2a4a5&start=4777&end=5130","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443913-d64f88ae9543cd58bc8fc21663b2a4a5/thumbnail_4777000.jpg","/articles/6051481/Fort-Collins-City/Larimer-County/Colorado/Council-hears-early-proposal-to-site-600space-parking-garage-as-first-step-in-Civic-Center-master-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6051481-e47f6bd8b48012afbac3ed77837419d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141307&Signature=dWY3IbQW3HmzWiolliwMd59Dm-UwRjhYZhIjxSlxmKqj6WNskaKVFXi730w7fIeXbUXcdxbTWy-4XITplNdYftuzwR4BgFpwu0I5oBk282ltLlFq7N2V0rH4odOIpBvTuMYa~64pdI1dNX-WbQLkWC~2kd8EBcNHXyFCIUx6~WCRmiyZhHDawb4ysHyEoL25M4yodvrqQ2QiXi4b~jpNxv66CgEiS551R8oYwk3bS63GCs9NnzYEy6hNpjx0NQ8E3a-A8wAkS41EWwiVdhePKw7K-K3n0-iqPnrh-uJO-e3EyS8RDrY~Ok5ygLZywfutmzrS7ho0eVLJVsNQflK6bA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff opened a refresh conversation about the Civic Center master plan and presented an early concept for a new parking garage north of Maple Street that staff said could serve fleet vehicles, public parking and a potential public‑private housing partnership.

Project manager Sylvia Tatman Burris and Assistant City Manager Denzel Maxwell said the Civic Center master plan — originally adopted in 2021 and updated periodically — is a long‑term vision that includes space planning, campus connectivity and potential new construction. Staff identified a surface fleet parking lot north of Maple Street, adjacent to the trolley barn, as the proposed garage site and described a 600‑space structure sized to meet future campus and downtown needs and to replace displaced surface fleet parking.

Staff said the site is underused now for city fleet parking and that demand exists across civic facilities; they reported an active wait list for the Civic Center parking garage of more than 100 permit holders. The proposed garage would also support downtown amenities and could be part of a joint development with a nearby private housing project, which staff said creates a timing opportunity for city‑led exploration.

Council members raised multiple concerns and asked for follow‑up before any commitment: several members requested that staff await the downtown parking optimization study results before committing to a large, costly structure; others asked for detailed cost and financing scenarios (staff gave a planning‑level figure of about $40,000 per parking stall, or roughly $25 million for 600 spaces, and said design funding is already appropriated); several asked whether fleet vehicles should be parked in prime downtown real estate or relocated to off‑site lots and whether the proposed structure could be sized smaller or designed for future alternative uses or mixed uses (housing, civic programming).

Parking Services senior manager Eric Kesselberg explained the current garage permit policy and said staff use an oversell of roughly 40% on permits to preserve hourly capacity; Tracy Ochsner, director of Operations Services, provided the industry cost‑per‑stall estimate used for preliminary planning. Finance staff said potential funding options and partnership structures will be assessed with the city’s financial advisor; staff said any partnership or financing plan would return to council for decision.

Staff said next steps include further internal engagement, coordination with the downtown parking optimization consultant, drafting a potential partnership agreement if interest remains, and developing schematic design to 50 percent to establish a firm project cost estimate. No formal council decision or funding commitment was requested at the work session.","City staff presented a refreshed Civic Center master‑plan conversation and an early proposal for a 600‑space parking garage just north of Maple Street; council members asked for additional analysis on fleet needs, financing, downtown parking optimization and alternative uses of prime civic land.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City presents climate progress and electrification priorities; staff say 2050 carbon neutrality still the long‑term target

Fort Collins transit team outlines three constrained scenarios to address $13 million funding gap

Visit Fort Collins reports higher web traffic, says visitation rebounding

Council hears early proposal to site 600‑space parking garage as first step in Civic Center master plan