Bicycle Advisory Committee discuss safety risks of Fort Collins intersection

By Sarah Dills

Published February 28, 2021

Bicycle Advisory Committee Zoom meeting on 2/17/2021. Photo by Sarah Dills

The Magnolia Street, Canyon Avenue and Sherwood Street intersection has been a cause of misunderstandings for decades. Road users are concerned that the intersection will continue to cause dangerous interactions.

Many road users believe that understanding who has the right-of-way at this intersection is the biggest issue. A poll sent out by Bike Fort Collins shows that 70% of respondents experience confusion at the Magnolia/ Canyon/ Sherwood intersection.

The intersection involves five entry/ exit points, with three stop signs and two signs indicating crosswalks. Because the Canyon vehicles do not stop at the intersection, it is up to the other road users to deem when it is safe to cross.

Map of Magnolia/ Canyon/ Sherwood Intersection. Source: Bike Fort Collins

Dave Dixon, the Executive Director of Bike Fort Collins, explains why this particular intersection is problematic.

“The real issue we see here is just a high potential for confusion among motorists relative to stop sign adherence, and probably all road users for that matter,” Dixon says. “The intersection is also so expansive that motorists often don’t realize bicyclists are in the intersection when a bicyclist might have the right-of-way.”

Nathaline Rachline, a Fort Collins resident and member of the Transportation Board, speaks about her experiences with the intersection.

“Every time I cross this intersection, whether it’s when I run or any other time, I feel like, ‘God, this is like hell,’” Rachline says with a chuckle. “It’s so dangerous.”

Jerry Gavaldon, a lifelong Fort Collins resident and the Vice-Chair of the Transportation Board, also expresses his concerns about the intersection.

“I have walked this area and the bicyclists aren’t only confused, us pedestrians are confused, because there have been so many near hits,” Gavaldon says. He supported the idea of turning the intersection into a roundabout, so motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians are “put on the same playing field.”

A roundabout would likely solve many of the intersection’s problems, but any major renovations are unlikely to be made because of a storm-water project scheduled to occur in the next five years. Dixon asks the meeting participants for interim solution ideas.

Rachline suggests adding a traffic light and more signs on the street to indicate to drivers to watch and yield for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Other suggestions include painting green stripes on the road to call the drivers’ attention to crossing areas, physically larger stop signs, and placing islands to create a more traditional intersection in terms of who has the right-of-way.

Bike Fort Collins’ mission is to “maintain a fluid list of intersections and road facilities that represent opportunities for improving the bicycling experience for everybody in Fort Collins,” Dixon says.

To keep up with that list, Dixon encourages Fort Collins residents to reach out to report problematic intersections and roads. To help Bike Fort Collins continue to improve everyone’s biking experiences, you can reach Dixon at dave.dixon@bikefortcollins.org.