by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
New public art at the Firestone-Longmont Mobility Hub highlights local history, transit access, and Northern Colorado identity.
A new mural at the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Firestone-Longmont Mobility Hub is giving travelers along the north Interstate 25 corridor a stronger visual connection to the communities the site serves.
Created by Loveland-based artist and Greeley native Frank Garza, the mural welcomes riders and visitors with imagery tied to the region’s land, water, agriculture, transportation, and history. Garza, who has created public art across Colorado for more than 20 years, said the piece is titled Connectivity to reflect the broad range of communities linked by the hub.
“I named the mural ‘Connectivity’ since it would be shared by a wide range of communities that this mobility hub serves,” Garza said. “It not only pays respect to the land, the nature, and the indigenous people who were here before us, it also reminds us of the importance of water, irrigation, farmers, ranchers, and field workers.”
Garza also included visual references to local history, including coal carts for Firestone and a locomotive representing Longmont. Between the two main sides of the mural, he added a stylized architectural nod to the Eisenhower Tunnel, referencing Colorado transportation infrastructure and engineering.
The Firestone-Longmont Mobility Hub serves several transportation connections that matter to Northern Colorado residents, including Bustang’s North Line between Fort Collins and Denver, RamsRoute to the Colorado State University campus, Bustang to Broncos service, and a local connection to RIDE Longmont. More information about the Bustang service is available at ridebustang.com.
State officials said the project also ties into Colorado’s broader recognition of its 150th anniversary and the role transportation plays in connecting communities across the state.
“This mural is a celebration of Colorado history, culture, and communities,” Governor Jared Polis said in the release.
The artwork is part of CDOT’s broader effort to expand multimodal transportation choices in Northern Colorado as population growth continues along the I-25 corridor. The Firestone-Longmont site is one of three mobility hubs completed as part of recent operational and safety improvements, alongside hubs in Berthoud and Centerra in Loveland.
Together, the hubs are intended to support transit use and carpooling, reduce congestion, and improve travel options for residents moving between Northern Colorado communities and the Denver metro area.
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Source: Colorado Department of Transportation