Change likely coming to how we park in Old Town

By AJ Merriman
The Ramspondents

Fort Collins wants to change “upside-down” prices, cut circling, and pay for upkeep of on-street parking spaces in Old Town. People can give their opinions in the fall and winter of 2025–2026, and the City Council will make a decision in 2026.

Similar to a hamster running on a wheel, finding parking in Old Town can be difficult and time-consuming. Today, Old Town and the city of Fort Collins have time-limited but free parking on the street, while the parking garages charge a minimal fee. This encourages drivers to circle around for curb spaces and adds congestion on the street. This leaves Parking Services to rely on the city’s general fund.

To solve this problem, Fort Collins worked with Walker Consultants and the Downtown Development Authority on a Parking Services Optimization Study. The study looked at supply, demand, and finances to come up with the new system.. The major goal is to keep curb spots open for short trips and direct longer trips to garages. Parking fees will be used to pay for ongoing maintenance.

Some early suggestions are to provide more paid parking, extend the hours of enforcement, make signs and wayfinding better, present employees and commuters more options, and change the Residential Permit Parking Program zones near downtown. The goal of these stages is to make the customer experience better, cut down on traffic, and move costs from the General Fund to the people who utilize the system.

City staff are planning community open houses and stakeholder meetings in the fall and winter of 2025–26 to talk about details, timeframes, and possible rollouts. If approved, the City Council will look at the suggestions in 2026 and put them into action in phases.

Not everyone is on board, however. Longtime resident Jesse Schier said she doesn’t like the idea of expanding paid meters in Old Town: “I hate it; I have lived here for 30 years, and it’s gotten worse. I think it’s one of the quaint things about Fort Collins that we are not like Boulder and Denver.”

Supporters of paid parking argue that setting curb prices based on demand can cut down circling and congestion. They believe that this will open up spots for people who just need a short stay, while also leaving open the garages for people who need to stay longer. The main takeaway their supporters like about this idea is that the program will pay for its own upkeep and will help the Old Town economy.

Residents, employees, and business owners can track the process and share their thoughts at the city's project page. There is contact information for parking services as well as the planning and the development of the new proposed idea.

AJ Merriman is a reporter for The Ramspondents.