Fort Collins Parking: Changing For The Better
Parking in Old Town Fort Collins has seen a lot of changes recently, though it is all for the better.
Let’s face it, parking is annoying. If Fort Collins offered a free valet system, where you didn’t have to worry about finding a spot, that you can fit into, where you won’t get hit, or get a ticket, we’d take it. This isn’t the case though, and at the end of the day, the city of Fort Collins is working hard to create user-friendly parking.
For example, there are options for every type of driver, coming in from any direction, allowing access to every part of Old Town. According to the Downtown Fort Collins webpage, the city, “offers a variety of parking options, including on-street, three parking structures, and five surface lots.”
All three garages have upgraded pay stations. This makes it so there are no longer gates at entrances, that can break and cost the city to have someone running them. If you forget to pay or need to add time, no worries, the Fort Collins parking app allows you to pay from anywhere and add time to your reservation. Locals are adjusting to the changes, and it is allowing Fort Collins to catch up to other cities.
According to a press release from the City of Fort Collins, “These additions will provide patrons with a more cohesive, easier and predictable experience when parking downtown.”
Other Colorado cities have used these methods for a while. Denver and Boulder use a method called Parkmobile, and have for many years. By making their own app, more of the revenue goes straight back to the city and there isn’t a transaction fee. It also allows the city to catch up on overall trends of technology, apps and cell phone use.
As for the people who have lived here a long time, these changes may be hard to adjust too. It can be annoying transitioning to new technologies and more expensive places to park. Though comparatively, Fort Collins has it cheap. Two of the garages offer first-hour free parking, and rates are at $1.00 to $1.50/hour. Compared to Boulder, where parking garage fees increase to $2.50/hour after 4 hours, or Denver where parking costs vary between $3-$12/hour, this is nothing.
If free is what you are looking for, there are five surface lots around town, including a large two-hour parking lot off Remington Street. You might also get lucky while driving down college and be able to snag a diagonal parking spot that line the street. The two hours of free parking allows for a nice time at dinner, while still allowing restaurants to have a quick enough turn over that people can filter through.
If for some reason, a dreaded parking ticket ends up on your windshield, the City has an easy online site that allows you to pay it. Tickets range from $10 to $50 depending on the number of violations. Luckily, due to the changes in technology, it makes it much easier to avoid a ticket and save a lot of money for your night out.
Change can be hard. The changes Fort Collins has made to their Old Town parking is beneficial for the city cost-wise and creates ease of access for users throughout the town.
If parking isn’t your thing, Fort Collins also offers many other ways to get around town.
