Downloads
Public Feedback
February 2012
City Council Work Session Presentation
February 28, 2012
Parking Plan Overview
4 pgs | 1 m
Expert Panel Report
Initial Questionnaire & Field Data Results
Study Area Map
Project Info
Prioritized Issues
Schedule
Parking PlanPublic FeedbackFebruary 2012
City Council Work Session PresentationFebruary 28, 2012
Parking Plan Overview4 pgs | 1 m
Expert Panel ReportInitial Questionnaire & Field Data ResultsStudy Area MapProject InfoPrioritized IssuesSchedule
Parking Options
Areas of Agreement and Disagreement
During meetings in February, City staff heard community support for the following concepts:
- Employee parking and garage usage – incentives and disincentives to promote appropriate employee parking
- Integrated access management approach – parking to support City goals for urban design, walkability, bicycling and other transportation alternatives
- Enhancing the Downtown experience – make customer service around parking, such as wayfinding, a top-priority focus
- Parking governance and Downtown stakeholder involvement in parking decisions
- On-street pay parking
- Construction of new public parking infrastructure
- Funding of new parking infrastructure and programs
- Parking impact fee
- Residential permit parking
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Next Steps – Ways to Get involvedPublic meetings will be held throughout April to June, 2012. The next City Council Work Session will be held on June 26, 2012.
What's a Parking Plan?
The City of Fort Collins’ Parking Plan provides guidance to our approach to parking management and its parking program. The plan, last updated in 2004 as part of the Fort Collins Downtown Strategic Plan, describes parking conditions and key problems, establishes guiding principles and policies, and recommends parking management and development strategies. As such, it is an important tool to sustain and enhance the economic health of Downtown.
What will this new plan do?
The new Parking Plan will provide a cohesive, strategic approach to parking in the Downtown area. It will better define the roles of the City and private sector in the provision of parking and the management of parking demand. It will provide a current assessment of the parking demand and supply, an examination of some key questions, and recommendations for new parking strategies. While the refinement of policies or development of new policies is an important component, the focus will be on developing and implementing actions for addressing the important issues.
Key Questions to be Addressed
- As housing and jobs continue to grow downtown, what are the best ways to manage the supply and demand for parking?
- Is sufficient turnover of short-term parking spaces being achieved?
- How does bike parking need to be improved?
- How will new programs and infrastructure be funded?
- How can customer service regarding parking options be improved?
- What new policies are needed to address the impacts of parking by non-residents in nearby residential neighborhoods?
Parking is often the largest single use of land in cities. Parking is a valuable asset and always has an associated cost.
A number of critical issues relating to changes in the demand for parking Downtown need to be resolved. While the growth of jobs and housing and the continued retail strength in the Downtown are important successes for the community as a whole, the supply of parking has not kept pace with the increase in demand. Future infill development in Downtown, and the impending Mason Corridor project will present additional challenges for parking.
Since new development is not required to provide parking in the Downtown, the burden for accommodating parking often falls on the public realm – whether in public parking lots or on-street in the public right-of-way. In fact, Parking Services has sold all available permits for public parking Downtown, with the exception of a few permits in the Olive Lot. The ongoing demand for parking permits is high and the City often receives requests for new parking permits and facilities in the development review process. The parking situation Downtown is expected to become more acute as new redevelopment projects are built over time.
The demand for long-term (employee) parking often spills over into short-term spaces and residential areas. Parking “hot spots,” areas of high parking utilization, are growing and there is widespread trolling for on-street spaces, leading to congestion, reduced air quality, pedestrian safety issues, and reduced capacity for critical business customer parking.
Who's involved and how do I fit in?
Advance Planning staff will manage the project, with strong support from Parking Services. There will be close collaboration with other key City departments, the Downtown Development Authority, and the Downtown Business Association. As part of the City’s Parking Plan process, we will bring an advisory panel of parking experts from around the country to Fort Collins for an intensive analysis and recommendation charrette. More info>
Advance Planning staff will manage the project, with strong support from Parking Services. There will be close collaboration with other key City departments, the Downtown Development Authority, and the Downtown Business Association. As part of the City’s Parking Plan process, we will bring an advisory panel of parking experts from around the country to Fort Collins for an intensive analysis and recommendation charrette. More info>
The Parking Plan will be developed in several phases:
(1) project start-up and data collection;
(2) parking surveys;
(3) issue analysis;
(4) recommendations; and
(5) development of draft and final Parking Plan.
The process will be supported by a robust community engagement process involving business and property owners, customers, residents and other stakeholders in determining approaches to resolve parking demand issues. Public outreach will consist of surveys, meetings, website information newsletters and other materials. The update concludes with presenting the proposed plan to City Council in March 2012 for approval.
(1) project start-up and data collection;
(2) parking surveys;
(3) issue analysis;
(4) recommendations; and
(5) development of draft and final Parking Plan.
The process will be supported by a robust community engagement process involving business and property owners, customers, residents and other stakeholders in determining approaches to resolve parking demand issues. Public outreach will consist of surveys, meetings, website information newsletters and other materials. The update concludes with presenting the proposed plan to City Council in March 2012 for approval.
schedule
March to July 2011 - Project Startup and Data Collection
July to September 2011 - Issues Analysis; Public Participation
October 2011 to January 2012 - Recommendations, Action Plan; Draft Parking Plan; Public Participation
January to April 2012 - Final Parking Plan; Public Participation
April 2012 - City Council Hearing
Why does Parking Matter?
According to the Denver Strategic Parking Plan, parking impacts all of us, whether we drive, walk, bike, or ride the bus. Parking influences our decisions of how we travel and where we go. Parking shapes the physical form of business and shopping areas, streets and neighborhoods. Parking is often the largest single use of land in cities. Parking is a valuable asset and always has an associated cost. More info>
According to the Denver Strategic Parking Plan, parking impacts all of us, whether we drive, walk, bike, or ride the bus. Parking influences our decisions of how we travel and where we go. Parking shapes the physical form of business and shopping areas, streets and neighborhoods. Parking is often the largest single use of land in cities. Parking is a valuable asset and always has an associated cost. More info>
- Parking is never free. Even when parking seems free, we pay for the costs of parking maintenance and real estate through higher prices, housing costs and rents. On-street parking is a valuable city asset that we all pay to provide and maintain through our tax dollars. For these reasons, we often don’t realize we are paying for seemingly free parking. Moreover, we pay those costs whether we drive or get to our destination some other way.
- Parking affects the way we view our city. Areas with too much parking – especially blocks and blocks of parking lots – can be an eyesore, empty and unsafe. In other areas, it can seem difficult to find a parking space even when there are plenty of vacant spaces.
- Parking affects our environment. In the summer, you may notice how large parking lots contribute to the city’s “heat island,” making it hotter when the asphalt absorbs the sunlight. When the ground is covered with asphalt or concrete for parking, it can’t absorb rainwater causing flooding and pollution of our rivers and streams. Also, too much parking can encourage people to drive by making an area unpleasant to walk and hard to reach on public transportation. This helps contribute to traffic congestion and air pollution.
Contact
Timothy Wilder, Senior City Planner
970-221-6756
Randy Hensley, Parking Services Manager
970-416-2058