by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
City aims to improve access, reduce congestion, and create a sustainable system
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The City of Fort Collins is moving forward with significant updates to its downtown parking system, a move designed to improve access for visitors and businesses while ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
Currently, downtown operates with free, time-limited on-street parking alongside paid garage parking. This “upside-down” pricing model has led to overcrowded streets, underused garages, and ongoing reliance on City General Fund contributions to cover parking operations and maintenance.
To address these challenges, the City partnered with Walker Consultants and the Downtown Development Authority to conduct the Parking Services Optimization Study, which identified strategies to enhance customer experience, reduce congestion, and establish a self-sustaining system. Key recommendations include:
- Expanding paid parking downtown
- Extending enforcement hours
- Improving signage and wayfinding
- Enhancing employee and commuter parking options
- Restructuring Residential Permit Parking Program (RP3) zones
“Our goal is to create a parking system that is simple, fair, and sustainable,” said Eric Keselburg, Senior Manager of Parking Services for the City of Fort Collins. “These updates will help make downtown parking more reliable for visitors and businesses, while ensuring that those who use the system are the ones who pay for it.”
The City has outlined goals for the updated system, including supporting a vibrant downtown economy, providing better options for both short-term and long-term parking, establishing a self-sustaining funding model, and aligning parking policies with the City’s broader Transportation Demand Management program.
What’s Next
Community engagement opportunities will begin later this year, with open houses and focused meetings for downtown business owners and stakeholders. City staff will present potential timelines and steps for implementation, with City Council expected to consider recommendations and vote in 2026.
For more information and updates, visit fcgov.com/parkingupdates.
Source – City of Fort Collins