Zach Elementary School is adjacent to a high-traffic arterial street, Kechter Rd., in southeast Fort Collins, serving neighborhoods on both sides of Kechter. Students living north of Kechter must cross the road to reach the school at Kechter's intersections with Cinquefoil Ln. or Jupiter Dr., often facing dangerous conditions due to driver speeds and suboptimal crossings. While students to the south benefit from safer residential streets, those to the north rely on a single signaled pedestrian crossing of Kechter at Jupiter Dr., which requires the use of a traffic control contractor during school hours to maintain safety.

Between 2017 and 2022 there were four rear-end crashes in this area, one involving a pedestrian.

To address these risks, this project will implement two key upgrades: 

• Intersection of Kechter/Jupiter Dr.: Install a full traffic signal with a pedestrian walk signal 
• Intersection of Kechter/Cinquefoil Ln.: Install a median refuge island and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) for safer crossings