By: Sam Adhikari

Fort Collins, Colo. -“Give it 10 minutes.” My head jerks to the man next to me at the bus station. “They come every 10 minutes, you can sit till then.” He had most likely sensed my panic as my 9:00 a.m. class starts in less than 15 minutes. “You should have seen what it was like back then, before all this. I have been here since 1953.” 

Fort Collins, Colorado, a city known today for its vibrant culture and breathtaking natural areas. Accredited for the vast opportunities for recreational activities, a strong sense of community, as well as being home to Colorado State University (CSU), Fort Collins (FoCo) is praised for its high standards of living. Upon this recognition, the city is internationally known for its commitment to moving towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly community. Apart from contributing to the vibrant and diverse community in the United States, this city continues to initiate renewable energy and people-friendly/bike-friendly pathways. This is similar to the book by Charles Montogemertry, Happy City, which is a city that is self-sustainable and focuses on creating areas for human interactions over privately owned businesses. 

Through the city’s continuous push towards sustainable and environmentally friendly decisions, this is evident in many ways in the city. One of the ways is the current MAX transit system. It was the largest bus transit system in Colorado for a few years. FoCo’s decision had inspired other transit systems models and systems; such as the RTD transit system in Denver and the Bustang. It must also be noted that even with the difference in size between Denver and FoCo, the wait time for the bus on average is longer in Denver than in FoCo.  

From DaTaUSA, FoCo was given on average commuting 20 minutes, regardless of what transportation method was used. Compared to the statistics back 20 years, FoCo’s focus on their resident’s access and flexible mobility, like myself, has helped the city rank among the top cities to live, not just in the United States, but in the world. 

(MAX Bus Fort Collins)