By: Annika Johnson

Fort Collins, Colo.- Forty-six. An obscure number to anyone else, 46 defines my summer job as the number of miles I commuted each day by car. This stressful commute was one reason I disliked the job. Every morning started out by battling traffic on C-470 and I-25. In Fort Collins, my commutes to both school and work can be done by bike or foot, making them more enjoyable.

The ability to rely on a bike for transport is one way Fort Collins succeeds in encouraging happiness. A 15 minute city is one key to increasing happiness. Residents in a 15 minute city are able to bike or walk to essential places in 15 minutes, making cars unnecessary. Fort Collins’ commuter challenge encourages employees to bike to work through prize incentives and friendly competition.

Drivers in Fort Collins are used to bikers, with nearly seven percent of the population commuting by bike, whereas in my hometown, few people dare to bike down the chaotic streets. Here at CSU I enjoy my commutes to school or work because I have control over my surroundings, and leaving at the same time yields consistent results.

Fort Collins offers resources such as a Bikeway Bingo, maps and educators to expand knowledge on the bike system. Biking releases dopamine in the brain, but so does completion of a task or a goal. By setting out goals for the population to achieve, Fort Collins is continuing to encourage people to ditch the car.

Protected Green Bike Lane on Laurel in Fort Collins. Photo By: Miles Bblumhardt

As Fort Collins increases the number of “green bike lanes”, bike lanes with protective barriers, they are committing to continuing to have a large percentage of people who bike. With the cost of gas rising and a car becoming more for the elite, it is imperative that we ensure safe transportation opportunities for all.

Bike lanes in Fort Collins allow residents to utilize alternative transportation. By continuing to ensure bikers’ safety, we can become the epitome of a happy city. 46 mile commutes will become ones done by bike or foot while cities become less car centered.