Downtown Parking Management Updates

This proposal greatly overlooks many factors. Most here have already pointed this out, but residents living in old town as well as employees working in the area will be extremely negatively impacted. Landlords are not going to reduce rent for parking costs raising and employers are not going to give their employees a raise. This not only will force employees who cannot afford this extra parking fee to find new jobs outside of old town, but will also force people to move when rents in this town are already so high. This then has a domino effect of the businesses suffering because they will have to rehire for positions they were not planning to and landlords will have to find new tenants, creating more work for everyone else. Patrons will go to businesses less frequently if they have to pay for parking to go there as well, creating less revenue for these businesses. We need more free parking, not paid options. Make the garages more accessible and clearly label other parking instead

I support the plan. I go to Old Town to walk around, not drive around, so I generally park in the garage. The garage is inexpensive and easy to use, and I've installed the app so I can add time.

I generally think there are too many cars in Old Town; the real charm of it is Old Town Square, where there are no cars. I'll note there are always a lot of people hanging out there. I support this and future efforts to make Old Town more pedestrian-friendly.

Removed by moderator.

I don't agree that garage use is discouraged from having free street parking because the cost is so low, the spots are consistently there, and the first hour is free. If the actual reasoning was that garage use is discouraged then make garages free too.

We have lived in Fort Collins for a few years now and one of the best things about the city is it's easily accessible downtowns with lots of things going on. By making parking paid you are removing the easy barrier to hundreds of parking spots.

Free and easy parking brings in business by people like me who know that it will only cost a buck or two to go downtown. If that ever changes I will be taking my business elsewhere in town.

Options for paid parking on the street for people who work in old town but don’t want to have to pay monthly fees in the parking lots or garages would be useful. I am only in person for work once a week but pay for an annual parking pass to the garage several block from where I work because I can’t move my car every few hours during my work day

I rarely drive to old town, it's much easier to bike or walk there. I wish all the on street parking was removed and made like the end of Oak St.

If the current model is "upside down" and needs changing, are there going to be more parking garages built and will they become free since the street parking would be paid? If not, than it doesn't make any sense outside of generating additional revenue. On that note, we already have some of the highest sales taxes. With everything getting more expensive from all directions, this change will likely result in less people visiting Old Town and therefore a loss of revenue from that.

I also feel the argument of "peer cities" doing the same thing is irrelevant. Fort Collins is unique and free parking down town is a part of that. I don't feel like we should have a bunch of meters, more signs everywhere and the hassle of keeping up with the meter or hefty fines for running out of time etc. etc., just because other cities are doing it.

Parking meters in Fort Collins would add cost and complication to a system that is already serving the community. At the farmers market, people come for the vendors and the experience, not for free parking. The market has shown that when there is value, customers show up. Adding meters would put an extra burden on that exchange. In Old Town, the absence of meters allows businesses and property owners to keep things simple and responsive to their customers. Turning it over to city-run meters and fines risks higher costs and less flexibility without solving the real issues. A better path is to keep parking decisions close to the community and to build on what is working. That supports local shops, encourages visitors to stay longer, and strengthens the character of Fort Collins.

I support paid street parking in downtown Fort Collins. As it stands now my tax dollars subsidize storage of private vehicles on public streets. I believe paid parking should be implemented, additional parking structures should be created and select parking spots on the street should be available for businesses to rent and use as “beer gardens” or additional outdoor seating. I believe it would be prudent to work with downtown businesses to offer free or reduced parking for employees that work at downtown businesses. Forcing employees to pay for parking is an argument against paid parking I hear a lot. But offering this the city could garner more support. Expanding bus service, or improving bike infrastructure would encourage more alternative forms of transit and reduce demand on street parking. Demographics: 30 y/o male. I primarily commute by bike and drive very infrequently.

Removed by moderator.

There's a reason I don't go to the businesses in campus West anymore. The whole lot is paid. Sure, it's not a lot, but it's enough to convince me to go to old town or a restaurant with a free lot instead. This will economically hurt our old town businesses.

If we're trying to curb the amount of cars downtown, changing linden to pedestrian only (see Pearl Street in Boulder) is the conversation we should be having.

How many times are we going to regurgitate this plan. When we moved here decades ago there were meters. The economy went to hell and the DDA sought ways to bring people to old town. The meters were pulled and old town prospered. Gere we are again trying the same tired issue. My question is what private company is going to make the money off the paid parking? How long is the contract? Is there any connection between the vendor and the city? I vote NO on the parking meters.

My friends and I always comment on how awesome it is that parking is free downtown. It makes it so much easier and more likely for me to drive downtown, park somewhere to run in a store and grab something I need, or get a quick meal or beer, and then leave without having to weigh the additional cost of parking to see if my effort is actually worth it. This will significantly cut down on the number of trips and time I spend downtown and therefore the money I will spend there too.

I work remotely and two days a week I go to the Cohere coworking space on Remington and Magnolia. Almost every time I'm there, I use street parking that is free and not time-restricted and in close proximity to the space. I hope to keep parking here while I go to my coworking space, and I want to know if the study has accounted for parking cases like mine and if there will be commuter permits available to those of us who don't have dedicated office parking and aren't in the Old Town area for a short errand. I also want to know if the city has done any studies to see if parking garages or lots in the nearby area are even able to accommodate those in the Coworking District should we have to stop parking on the street.

I commute daily to downtown from midtown Fort Collins to work remotely at a local coworking space. The proposed parking plan feels like a cash grab that threatens our small-town character and makes little sense for our community. Right now, free all-day parking on Magnolia/Remington allows me to work a full day and support downtown businesses by walking to breakfast, lunch, and coffee shops. If these spots become metered, the added cost would make it financially unreasonable to come downtown daily. This means fewer trips to work, fewer meals purchased, and less support for local shops. A plan that discourages residents from spending time and money downtown undermines the very businesses that give Fort Collins its unique small-town feel. Please reconsider this approach and seek a solution that balances revenue with true community benefit.

As difficult as it is to accept, Fort Collins is growing and we need to revisit street parking in Old Town. If the street parking is the same system as the garages, I think that would be best as it is the most user friendly (some payment kiosks and and app for the more tech savvy) My main concern is still being inviting to potential customers as well as having space for employees. There needs to be employee codes or another type of option for them to park downtown. It sounds like there are plans for making parking permits in the garages easier for employees.
As far as the average person, I’d like to have a free hour, then paid. Also, haves stores able to validate an additional hour or two if someone shops there.

PLEASE do not do this. I work in this area and it's already hard enough to find parking. I honestly do not mind paying a dollar or two to park for dinner or coffee when I'm in Old Town in one of the garages, but to have to pay 8 hours a day 5 days a week is just not viable. That's over $1,000 per year. My employer is not going to give me a raise just to cover parking fees.

Free garages are a great idea if there was one every 2 blocks. The existing garages cannot support the hundreds of people who would have to move into them, followed by walking in the rain/snow/wind however many blocks to their workplaces. I would argue the opposite direction here. Give us more free parking!!

And please for the love of god remove the time limits. Those of us who work all day in the area need parking too. Please find another way to generate revenue.

I am part of co-working community and it seems like the coworking District overlooked: At full capacity, the Coworking District will bring 300+ long-term daily parkers downtown. We were not included in the study, since our members don’t fit the “short errand” or “traditional employee” categories. In fact, today was the first time Parking Services even acknowledged our existence as a district. This is a vibrant part of downtown and we need to be included in this plan.

I am part of co-working community and it seems like the coworking District overlooked: At full capacity, the Coworking District will bring 300+ long-term daily parkers downtown. We were not included in the study, since our members don’t fit the “short errand” or “traditional employee” categories. In fact, today was the first time Parking Services even acknowledged our existence as a district. This is a vibrant part of downtown and we need to be included in this plan.

The "why now" part of this plan is pretty weak -- it feels like "changing this because we can", without great reasons.

This is a problem because the changes make several kinds of downtown businesses less viable. Downtown coffee shops have crowds working in them all morning while (according to the Parking Services presentation) parking demand is otherwise quite low. Coworking spaces attract people all day, again in the low-demand part of the cycle.

The proposed plan works well for people who want to pop into a sandwich shop for an hour or two, but not so well for longer-term users. Paid parking at $12/day would more than double the cost of coffee shop working or coworking, even though the existing spaces on the street are not full. Paid parking in the evenings may make sense, but not 9-5.