More plans and projects from the Elevate Downtown Plan, a major study of downtown Colorado Springs, were recently released by the Downtown Development Authority.

The study area was bounded by Cache la Poudre Street to the north, the Shooks Run area to the east, the Mill Street and Lowell neighborhoods to the south, and Monument and Fountain creeks to the west.

A popular new program in the heart of the city is the nonprofit PikeRide, an electric bicycle sharing program that operates throughout downtown as well as in Manitou Springs and on the west side.

With e-bike rental stations scattered about the community, it provides electric bike rentals at a reasonable price. There are 300 electric bikes for rent and 90 rental stations.

• Elevate Downtown Plan takes a holistic look at areas of growth

Such alternatives to driving an automobile in the city are called micromobility options.

The Elevate Downtown Plan calls for searching for empty and inactive spaces along the sidewalks of Colorado Springs and turning them into green spaces, such as pocket parks, mini plazas and parklets.

These spaces can be landscaped with trees and bushes and furnished with outdoor chairs and tables. They become perfect places for a quick picnic or snack, or just as a place to take a rest and drink in the atmosphere of downtown.

The plan also calls for locating a few restaurants and ice cream shops on the rooftops of downtown buildings as a way of taking advantage of the sensational view of Pikes Peak and the surrounding mountains from downtown.

The plan, not surprisingly, rates Pikes Peak as the “defining natural feature of the city.” These upper-floor or rooftop eating places with a view of the peak should have connecting indoor and outdoor facilities to deal with changing weather.

Emphasis is placed on the need for a transportation center, with a suggestion that it be located along the existing railroad tracks close to the old Denver and Rio Grande passenger station.

The transportation center would include both a central bus station and a place to catch passenger trains operating on the planned future Front Range Passenger Rail project, which will run from Pueblo through Colorado Springs to Denver and Fort Collins.

To enhance the area near the new transportation center, the park behind The Antlers hotel should be decorated with more landscaping and paved walking paths.

The Denver and Rio Grande railroad train depot was built in 1887 and served both passengers and freight until 1971. Its late Victorian-Queen Anne architectural style makes it an attractive opportunity for downtown.

The train station area was the city’s original visitor gateway, which gives it important historic significance. It should become that gateway again.

The plan recommends large apartment complexes to the north of the train station along the east side of the railroad tracks.

The plan also recommends a large apartment complex along the west side of the railroad tracks, which will have the further benefit of overlooking heavily landscaped Monument Creek and its popular biker-hiker trail.

Another source of space for innovative things to do is the many alleyways in downtown. Alleyways that have been fixed up and made safe for pedestrian travel can be used to create alternative routes to and from downtown destinations.

Existing alleyways can be made more attractive by paving them with artistically patterned designs in the paving material. The alley walls can be painted or relined with a wood or plastic surface. Alley walls can also be a good place for painting murals inspired by notable people or events in the community.

Other additions to revived alleyways include trees and bushes, often in cement or wooden containers, along with metallic outdoor tables and chairs for sitting and resting awhile.

Revived and improved alleyways can inspire secondary uses such as additional store or office entrances, outdoor light dining opportunities, small public events and informal gatherings.

Bright electric lighting can make alleyways safe and usable after dark as well as in the daytime.

An improved alleyway already in use is AdAmAn Alley. Named for the intrepid climbing group that sets off fireworks on Pikes Peak on New Year’s Eve, AdAmAn Alley runs east to west between Nevada Avenue and Tejon Street. The closest east-to-west streets are Pikes Peak and Colorado avenues.

The Elevate Downtown Plan discourages the overbuilding of short-term rentals, apartment units rented to tourists and other travelers. It also calls for limits on the construction of accessory dwelling units in the backyards of single-family homes located downtown.

Although the general theme of Elevate Downtown is turning to the new and modern, the plan recommends against the displacement of existing lower-income housing. It supports the building of affordable housing downtown, financed with government aid.

The Elevate Downtown report is filled with suggestive ideas for improving the downtown area of our city. As many of those ideas as possible should be instituted to make downtown Colorado Springs both more economically and culturally successful.

News columnists Tom Cronin and Bob Loevy write about Colorado politics.