(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The City of Colorado Springs is looking back on 2024 and highlighting the successes that spanned across the City’s priorities.

Public Safety

The City said the Colorado Springs Fire Department and the Colorado Springs Police Department implemented new technology to enhance service to the community.

CSFD, in partnership with UCHealth, started to carry whole blood, and since then, 51 patients have received blood during traumatic injuries and 44 have survived.

CSPD and CSFD started using drones to assist first responders. Police launched a pilot program “drone as first responder,” which aims to help determine the appropriate level of response and support by getting a first look at the situation. Firefighters created a 24/7 drone program that had its first year of operation in 2024.

CSPD launched a new Real-Time Crime Center–a specialized unit that supports officers and detectives responding to calls for service and other investigations by giving them real-time information utilizing department records, law enforcement databases, and other integrated technologies.

CSFD Fire Chief Randy Royal was named the International Fire Chief of the Year out of more than 20,000 fire chiefs. Police Detectives Kristin Genta, Vito DelCore, and Addison Morgan were all awarded the 2024 U.S. Attorney’s Award of Excellence.

Courtesy: Colorado Springs Fire Department

Bringing the community together

The City said its 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings initiative successfully engaged 55,000 community members across all 77 city neighborhoods over 133 days in the summer. Feedback showed that 96% of hosts felt more connected to their neighborhoods, and nearly half felt better equipped to address mental health issues.

The city is pushing for a strong end of the year with the “100 Holiday Gatherings” initiative.

Bridges

The City saw significant progress on a few bridge projects across Colorado Springs. The Circle Drive Bridges celebrated the completion of the Eastbound Bridge in November.

A new bridge over the future Powers Boulevard extension, the Voyager Parkway Bridge, also opened.

The El Paso Street Bridge over Platte Avenue, damaged six years ago, was removed, paving the way for future improvements.

The Fillmore Bridges had vital maintenance finished, ensuring continued safety and reliability.

Better roads

According to the City, the 2C paving program continued, making roads safer and smoother in places like Vickers Drive, Austin Bluffs Parkway, and Pikes Peak Avenue. 2C was renewed by voters for 10 more years starting in 2026 with almost 74% of voters approving the measure.

Park accessibility

The Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department along with the Office of Accessibility worked to make strides in creating accessible outdoor spaces.

Antlers Dog Park in Downtown Colorado Springs allowed dogs and their owners to have some fun with a fully accessible park. The park features accessible parking and pathways along with synthetic turf, providing a place for people with all abilities to enjoy time with their best friends.

Oak Meadows Playground in southwest Colorado Springs was turning into a brand-new fully accessible play space.

The City also partnered with El Paso County Parks and Community Services to improve trails in Bear Creek Cañon Park to offer more accessible terrain, perfect for the City’s Track Chair Program and El Paso County’s Trailability Program.

Colorado Springs Airport

The Colorado Springs Airport (COS) saw a record number of passengers as it continued to expand its air service and nonstop flight options, including international travel for the first time.

The City said COS saw more than 2.2 million travelers through its terminal, a 6% increase from 2023. Southwest plans to begin service to Cancun, Mexico on June 7, 2025, marking COS’s first international destination.

Other airlines plan to begin new services around the country in 2025 including Allegiant Airlines adding service to Phoenix/Mesa; Santa Ana/Orange County; St. Petersburg/Tampa in Feb. American Airlines plans to begin nonstop service to Chicago in June.

Small business support and economic opportunity

The City expanded its services to help support small businesses including; business support, workforce development, Peak Innovation Park, and economic development agreements.

Connecting to the community

The city worked to connect to more people living in the community with a new non-emergency texting service to keep people informed about important messages and upcoming events. A new AI chatbot was made that will make it easier to find information and navigate the city’s website.

Through the GoCOS app, the city resolved more than 36,000 requests from the community, answering questions, and providing efficient city services. The City said the app empowers the community to report issues, track their progress and connect with City staff.

Pikes Peak Rising

In 2024 the city launched Pikes Peak Rising, a mental health initiative in collaboration with 40 partners to provide greater access to mental health resources, including the state’s first public web portal for resources.

Addressing homelessness

In November, Colorado Springs launched the 2025-2030 Homelessness Response Action Plan, a plan that outlines 60 key strategies to address homelessness in Colorado Springs, the plan has six focus areas: enforcement and cleanup, street outreach and shelter, homelessness prevention, employment, housing and supportive services, and public communications.

Award-winning lifestyle

In 2024, Colorado Springs earned national recognition, landing on various “Best of” lists, including being ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 Most Desirable City and No. 3 Best Place to Live overall, while U.S. Neighbor.com ranks it as the No. 1 Most Neighborly City. City staff and programs individually won more than two dozen awards in 2024.

Olympic City USA

The 2024 Olympic Games were held in Paris and the community hosted several events to highlight the local spirit and support Team USA. According to the City, if Colorado Springs was a country, it would have finished third in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with 66 total medals and ninth in the Paralympic Games with 57 total medals.

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC also won its first USL Championship.