Colorado Springs: City’s Parking Enterprise releases parking and curb management study draft plan

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~ The City of Colorado Springs has recently released its final draft of the Parking and Curb Management study, which will serve as a comprehensive framework for understanding the city's parking system in both the downtown area and Old Colorado City. The study was conducted by the Parking Enterprise, which manages these two primary mixed-use centers in the region.

The 10-month process began in summer 2024 with an analysis of the current parking plans and policies. This was followed by two rounds of community feedback in the summer and fall of that year. The first phase focused on identifying issues and opportunities related to parking and curbside management, while the second round presented draft strategy recommendations for public input.

Richard Mulledy, the City's Public Works Director, expressed excitement for this final phase of public feedback. "We've completed two rounds of robust engagement with the community, and we feel that this report truly reflects their feedback," he stated. "We are committed to improving our overall parking system in Downtown Colorado Springs and Old Colorado City."

The plan sets four guiding principles: actively managing curbsides, increasing off-street parking productivity, embracing technology, and creating a comprehensive customer experience. It also takes into account previous plans and policies such as the 2016 Experience Downtown Master Plan, 2018 Old Colorado City Corridor Assessment, PlanCOS (2019), Midland Corridor Transportation Study (2022), ConnectCOS Transportation Plan (2023), and 2024 State of Downtown Colorado Springs report. Additionally, it considers current city zoning and municipal codes while suggesting possible changes.

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The final draft plan includes four recommended strategies with 3-5 tactics for each one. These tactics range from immediate implementation to longer-term plans (four-plus years) with varying levels of effort and cost. Some examples include expanding mobile payment options offered by the city and implementing a unified off-street parking reservation system.

The appendixes of the report provide detailed data from the extensive public engagement process over the past 10 months. They also showcase best practices in the parking industry that the city may consider when implementing the plan, project future parking needs for both areas as they continue to grow, and compare Colorado Springs' parking costs and fee structure with similar-sized cities like Boulder, Raleigh, N.C., Minneapolis, and Columbus, Ohio.

Residents are encouraged to review the plan, which is available at ColoradoSprings.gov/2024ParkingPlan, and provide feedback throughout the month of April. This feedback will be taken into consideration before the plan is finalized. The City of Colorado Springs is committed to improving its parking system and ensuring a positive experience for all customers in Downtown Colorado Springs and Old Colorado City.

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