On-Campus Stadium to Provide a Safer Bicycling community?

By Michael McNulty

A new on-campus stadium proposal is in the making and Fort Collins residents are not quite in cahoots with this idea. Positive and negative implications have been bouncing around town while Colorado State officials debate the final project plans. While some people argue the negative impacts of an on-campus stadium to the university as well as the city, others believe the project will benefit the overall lifestyle by introducing a true biker-friendly campus.

     The plans for a new stadium on campus would require additional parking on the perimeter to designate the academic core as strictly a pedestrian and bicycling zone. Rick Price, the chairman of the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, which is in charge of pedestrian and bicycle transit projects, believes that other projects could come along with the stadium to make the car-less campus safer to bicyclists. “Think of the bicycle facilities that could result,” Price said, “including more better bicycle access to campus, more bicycle boulevards, more shared lane arrows and more smarter bike paths and bike lanes that would help move students.” Price also argued that freshmen could be required to live on campus without a car to better solidify the car-less approach. These are only speculations at the moment because city officials and CSU chairmen have not released true project plans regarding the stadium to the public.

     A poll on Coloradoan.com already shows that 53 percent of voters agree CSU should implement an on-campus stadium while 39 percent disagree. CSU directors and city officials have numerous meetings scheduled to decide whether these plans follow through. 

     One major donor for the project and local philanthropist, Pat Stryker provided a comment to the Coloradoan about the future stadium plans: “Although the proposal… has led to a great deal of discussion and speculation” Stryker said, “CSU officials have reassured the CSU and Fort Collins community that they are committed to engaging in a thoughtful, deliberate and transparent process on the matter through the university’s newly appointed advisory committee.” Stryker points out that although people are now confused with all the talk of a new stadium, once decisions are made, the public will be informed.

     Project planners and City Officials are still deliberating the idea of an on-campus football stadium for the Ram’s and it will be some time before a decision is reached. In the meantime, arguments for and against the proposal is rests on top of the Fort Collin’s gossip.