Downtown Parking Management Updates

I moved here from LA. Do not ruin FoCo by nickle-and-diming small business consumers. It ruined the small business community in Los Angeles.

Don't you dare add parking meters ya capitalist pigs

As a resident who frequents small businesses and local establishments downtown, I strongly oppose the implementation of paid on-street parking in Old Town. This is an unnecessary financial barrier that would deeply impact visitors and customers.

This is distressing to the elderly community, as we have few resources when it comes to income. I love to meet my friends downtown, and some of already carpool from Loveland and Wellington.

Dear City leaders,

I am NOT in support of paid street parking in Fort Collins. I have lived in several cities and Fort Collins is without a doubt the most thriving city I have ever lived in. This is due in part to easy access to local shops. I personally visit Old Town nearly every day of the week to grab coffee at Mugs, shop at Downtown Ace, get haircuts, dine, etc.

The ease of access to grab a quick part at Ace is a primary reason I shop there. Adding the friction of a payment process and even the small fee of a couple bucks for a 15 min pickup will degrade the experience. I may continue to shop at Ace, but I am concerned that others may not, impacting Ace's revenue and similar businesses.

I use the parking garages for longer term visits and when the streets are full. Proper enforcement will encourage others too.

Rather than force paid street parking on OT visitors, please start by addressing the management issues of violation warnings vs fines, and garage revenue leakage.

Reluctance to change in anything is expected. You won’t please everyone regardless of the choice you make. If the data and research shows that this is the best thing to do, then I support the decision making. If it doesn’t, then I don’t. More likely than not, my assumption is that the data will prove this is what is needed to bring our community closer to the rest of the nation and all this negativity will eventually cease and they’ll migrate to something else to make a big deal out off for nothing.

Stop gouging small businesses and consumers - convenience is huge in todays world. People will opt to shop big box stores with free parking instead of coming to our charming downtown area.

Fort Collins should not switch to a paid parking system in Old Town, as it would make the space less accessible, inclusive, and community-oriented. Any potential profits would be severely outweighed but the up front and future costs, both monetary and intangible, of this project.

I respectfully urge the City to maintain free two hour on street parking in Old Town and not implement paid street parking. The current system works well. Parking garages are available when needed, and there is almost always parking a few blocks outside of Old Town.

Free short term parking preserves the small town feel that makes Fort Collins special. It allows residents like me to run errands, meet friends, visit the library and support locally owned businesses without the barrier of meters and added fees. That accessibility makes me far more likely to choose Old Town for shopping and dining over online delivery and dining with parking lots.

Many cities charge high rates to go downtown, and people often avoid those areas. Old Town’s accessibility is something our visiting friends and family consistently appreciate. Please protect the charm, convenience, and local vibrancy that make Fort Collins unique.

Transitioning to a paid parking program appears to be less effective than maintaining free timed parking. The revenue impact on small businesses could be substantial, potentially leading to a decrease in the overall revenue of Old Town, a crucial component of Fort Collins. As a popular tourist destination, Old Town’s sustainability relies on visitor support. Implementing paid parking would result in all nearby parking being paid, leaving only paid spots available. This could deter local residents and increase traffic congestion, as families may begin dropping off individuals on the street. Consequently, this decision would negatively impact the appeal of Old Town.

I am extremely disappointed by the choice of the Fort Collins government to try to institute paid parking. Especially with the knowledge that small businesses would lose 30% of sales considering you would be forced to pay to park in old town. It is frankly unnecessary, why change the current situation if it works? the city just wants more profits.

The proposed on-street paid parking plan feels more like a short-sighted revenue grab than a thoughtful policy. When you factor in equipment, enforcement, maintenance, and administration, the projected revenue barely covers the cost of the system itself.

This policy will disproportionately impact our local businesses, our residents, and the heart of our city, Old Town. Creating additional barriers to visiting, shopping, and gathering downtown sends the wrong message. Instead of adding new fees, we should focus on responsible budgeting, operational efficiencies, and strengthening the economic vitality of the community that already funds our city.

Hi, I've lived all over this country. This downtown is comprised on mom and pop shops that thrive in foot traffic. It's going to see a decline from you charging street parking. It's the difference between Bay Area in CA and OC in CA. One sees plazas dying out with 2$/hr typ. Parking while other's shops and plazas are thriving. I know I am but one person but I would have Zero reason to pay to walk around old town now. I can buy anything online and box stores. Ya I'll go dine out still, but the leisurely strolls downtown and window shopping, I ain't paying to get to do that. I'm not biking my toddler from mid town for that either. I strongly urge you to reconsider paid parking in old town. I am a high earner resident, moved to this town and fell in love with its downtown charm and this change definitely feels like the start of enshitification. If we can fight billboards in this town, we can maintain a luxury like free parking.

Greed greed greed

Please do not implement the paid parking model. Old Town is a common resource for our community and the ability to make a quick stop downtown for a few hours should be open to all. A few dollars here and there might seem small but I strongly believe it would provide enough of a disincentive to some folks as to reduce visitation to this vital and unique part of our town. I say this as someone who actually prefers to bike downtown whenever I can. I'm fortunate enough to be healthy and able to do this, but there are plenty who are not and would effectively be taxed for visiting a public space. As much as I wish our public transit would fill the gap, the reality is that it does not. MAX does not serve much of the residential areas of town and the rest of the Transfort system is much slower than almost any other transport mode. There are already paid garages for longer stays that fit that use case well.

As a Downtown business owner, I strongly urge the City to preserve 2-hour free on-street parking. Free curbside parking is not “upside-down”, it is the front door to small businesses. Replacing it with $2 per hour fees, expanded enforcement and app-based kiosks creates a pay-to-visit barrier for everyday residents making quick trips.

National data shows aggressive parking fee increases can reduce transactions 12-18%, disproportionately hurting independent retailers. Before expanding paid parking, the City should address operational inefficiencies, including inconsistent enforcement and garage revenue leakage.

Downtown Fort Collins serves daily local use, not just tourism. Policies should prioritize turnover, accessibility and business vitality. Protect free short-term curbside parking and improve garage utilization to keep Old Town vibrant and competitive.

Please do not implement a paid street parking model. The garages work just fine for those who cant find street parking. There is almost always parking a few blocks outside of old town as well. Its a very nice perk that our town does not have paid street parking.

2 hour parking should remain free to the community. For a city that has a focus on equity and small businesses, this would hurt the lower socioeconomic classes & small businesses the most. The city already has paid parking garages that are hardly ever full near old town. This feels like a money grab more than actually caring about the livelihood of old town. I urge you to NOT move forward with paid street parking.

Two hour free parking maintains a small town feel to Fort Collins, and it allows residents like me to run errands around Old Town (and support those local businesses) without looking for a meter to feed. It makes me much more likely to park on the street in Old Town and support the local community.

Free 2 hour parking makes Fort Collins unique. I am originally from Austin, TX and that city is now very difficult due to too much development and cost to go downtown ($35 to park now). I stopped going downtown. Not everyone can bike to downtown.....keep it the way it is or the city will change for the worse and become like other large metro areas that are so hard to go downtown people will stop going.