Project Overview: Installation of curb-extensions at a five-point intersection in the heart of downtown Fort Collins accomplished the narrowing of vehicular travel lanes, shortened pedestrian crossing distances and improved sightlines. Curb-extensions, totaling approximately 16,000 square feet, were defined by traffic striping, plastic delineator posts, asphalt art and ADA compliant infrastructure. Using these applications together we were able to reclaim a large expanse of asphalt for pedestrian refuge, reduce traffic speeds and ignite neighborhood centers. Dramatically reworking the intersection geometry by converting a five-point intersection into a four-way intersection and a separate T intersection  also improved sightlines for road users and addressed long-standing concerns of right-of-way confusion.

Installation title: Namesake

Artist: Jess Bean

FC Moves is working with artist, Jess Bean, and the Friday Family to redesign the asphalt art installation titled, Namesake, at the intersection of Canyon Ave, Magnolia St, and Sherwood St. The art honors Chief Friday and the Arapaho Tribe (Hinono’eiteen). During the original 2024 design process, proper response time for consultation with the family of Chief Friday prior to installation was not provided. Upon completion, the Friday Family indicated that the feathers are sacred to the Arapaho and should therefore not be on the ground or walked over. With their feedback, FC Moves and Bean have partnered to transform the art from feathers to rainbow trout with Arapaho symbolism for trout included in the dorsal fins. The rainbow trout ties into the ribbons of blue that reference the Poudre River and the cultural connection they represent for the Arapaho Tribe (Hinono’eiteen). 

Historic Context: The 1867 Treaty of Medicine Lodge Creek forced the Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho) to give up all claims to land within what is today Colorado. Local settlers and stage route operators opposed Chief Friday’s proposal to retain a reservation for his people along the Poudre River, and despite negotiations, neither the territorial nor the federal government established any such reservation. General William T. Sherman decommissioned Fort Collins in 1868, and the Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho) in the area were left homeless. By 1868 the Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho) were placed on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming along with the Eastern Shoshone. These reservations were part of a larger strategy by the U.S. government to limit the land available to Native people. Chief Friday died on the Wind River Reservation in 1881 and is buried at the Friday cemetery in Ethete, Wyoming. He is remembered by his descendants and Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho) people as one of their great Chiefs.    

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Public art can be found throughout Fort Collins. These projects offer moments of beauty, introspection, and curiosity in our everyday lives.

The Asphalt Art program brings public art into unique spaces to enhance the beauty of our community while creating safer streets. Studies have shown the placement of art in roadways helps calm traffic and lower speeds; intersections with asphalt art have fewer crashes and safer pedestrian street crossings.

Learn more about asphalt art

First painted curb extensions at Roosevelt and Maple

Many thanks to everyone who assisted with the installation of our city's first painted curb extensions! These works of art are both beautiful and an effective traffic calming method.

By using curb extensions with plastic marker posts and asphalt art we expect to see a reduction in vehicle speeds and bicycle and pedestrian-related accidents at this intersection. These results will be tracked and reported once post installation data has been gathered.