Lyons: Things to Do, People to See … Now where to park!

1. Lyons:Things to Do, People to See …Now where to park! 2010 Town of Lyons Comprehensive Plan Update Economic Development Strategy 1.1.3: Analyze the current and future downtown area parking requirements and develop options to meet downtown businesses’ future parking needs. Transportation 1.1.2: Analyze traffic flow, traffic patterns and parking to provide recommendations to support economic development throughout the Town and planning area.

2. Data used to support study • Businesses were surveyed; data compiled from two separate surveys • CDOT traffic counts • 2011 parking ticket data • Lyons Municipal Code • Parking counts

3. Parking in Lyons is shaped by: • Current ordinances • Community Service Officers • Zone district parking requirements • Town Events • Business requirements

4. History of parking enforcement laws • Ordinance 519 – 1990; amending Ord. 339, adopting the Model Traffic Code and establishing parking limits in the downtown area: establishes 1-hour parking on Main Street (between 4th-5th Avenues) from 9 a.m. -7 p.m. weekdays. • Ordinance 563 – 1994; amending Ord. 519, adding no parking zones on the east and west side of 5th Avenue from High Street north to Town Limits • Ordinance 585 – 1995; amending Ord. 519, establishing 2-hour parking from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. of any day except public holidays on Main Street (between 4th-5th Avenues). • Ordinance 883 - 2010; amending Ord. 519 changing the times of 2-hour parking from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

5. Off-Street Parking Regulations LMC 9-3-3 • Intent. The intent of this section is to prevent or alleviate congestion of public streets, to minimize detrimental effects of parking on adjacent properties, and to promote the safety and welfare of the public. USE REQUIRED PARKING - Must be outside of rights-of-way 1. Single-family detached 2 spaces per unit 2. Multiple dwellings 1 space per bedroom, up to 2 per unit, plus .25 guest spaces per unit 3. Boarding house, motel, hotel, 1 space per guest bedroom or bed and breakfast 4. Restaurants, cafes or drinking places 1 space per 100 square feet of customer service area 5. Retail 1 space for every 500 square feet of gross floor area 6. Office/business uses 1 space for every 500 square feet of gross floor area 7. Institutional/churches/clubs 1 space for every 6 seats 8. Business park/industrial 1 space each for the maximum number of employees present at anyone time

6. Off Street Parking Regulations D. Location of Spaces. 2. The location of required off-street parking facilities for other than residential uses shall be within 700 feet of the building they are intended to serve when measured from the nearest point of the building or structure. E. Handicap Parking Spaces. 1. Handicap parking spaces shall be required for all retail, office, business, industrial, institutional uses, as well as multi-family units. Total Parking Stalls in Lot Minimum Number of Handicap Spaces 1-25 1 26-50 2 51-75 3 H. Parking Restrictions for Excess Weight Vehicles and Recreational Vehicles 1. In nonresidential zone districts, no boat, boat trailer, tractor trailer, semitrailer, motor home, bus or detached/dismounted camper shall be kept or parked upon any public right-of-way or roadway, except for visitation purposes not exceeding 24 hours.

7. Private Parking Public Parking

8. Community Service Officers 2011 • 2011 Employment (2 Officers) • 7/2/11 – 10/7/11 • 6/29/11 – 9/23/11 • Areas Patrolled • Main Street between 3rd and 5th St. • Railroad Avenue between 3rd and 4th St. • Bohn Park • Meadow Park • Areas of 5th Avenue

9. Community Service Officers 2011 • Tickets Issued and Collected • July - $4470.00 • August - $1910.00 • September - $1455.00 • Tickets Issued and not Collected • July - $1350.00 • August - $840.00 • September - $610.00 • Net parking ticket revenue generated: $2562.60

11. CSO Enforcement • Bohn Park • Average monthly revenue collected • $760 • Average number of tickets issued • 29

12. CSO Enforcement • Meadow Park • Average monthly revenue collected • $1000 • Average number of tickets issued • 40

13. Railroad Avenue • Railroad Avenue • Revenue collected, month of July • $1770 • Number of tickets issued • 65 • Only Enforced for Month of July in 2011 • Decision was made to no longer enforce parking

14. Main Street • Main Street • Average monthly revenue collected • $930 • Average number of tickets issued • 36 • 85% decrease in number of tickets issued from July to September

15. Other Areas • 21 Tickets Issued in July and August, 0 in September • Average Revenue of $210

16. Interpretation • Parks = Approximately 50% Ticket Revenue • Bohn Park increased month to month • Meadow Park consistent • R.R. Ave. Exaggerates Expected 2012 Tickets Issued and Revenue Generated • 65 Tickets • $1770 • Main & Other Areas • Ticket numbers & revenue consistently decreased • Main, 85% • Other areas 100%

17. Summary • July to September • 65% Decrease • Public Awareness? • Lower Traffic Counts? • CSO’s • $1,757.50 (3 Month Avg.) • July-August Averages • Ticket Revenue • $1,682.50 • Unpaid Tickets • $725 • Average of 43%

18. Summary • Ticket Enforcement Vs. Ticket Revenue • Slim Margins • Average employee wages and ticket revenue almost equal • Tax Revenue • An assumption: more parking = more tax revenue • Annual average traffic counts

19. Special Event Parking • Planet Bluegrass Festival parking has been mitigated to great extent due to Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s comprehensive parking plan that funnels most Festivarians to Bohn Park and then shuttles them to High Street. This has alleviated a great deal of congestion in the north part of Lyons, where Festivarians can park in public streets and walk to Planet Bluegrass. • Other special events, like Good Old Days, have not mitigated parking on public streets, but specific problem areas, such as 5th Avenue north of High Street, have been addressed through “no parking” ordinances. • The Town Board could adopt a special event parking plan to be implemented every time a special event has the potential to create parking congestion.

20. Parking Survey • A survey was conducted of downtown businesses to determine opinion and sentiment on the subject of parking. Business response was encouraging, however this is an informal, anonymous survey. • The findings of the survey indicate that the majority of business owners (75%) feel that the downtown area has a parking problem, especially during the summer.

21. Parking SurveyQuestion #1: Does the downtown area have a parking problem? Too many park all day    Too few spaces, no enforcement  No one pays attention to 2 hour limit or private lots. Service vehicles should not park on Main. • Festival days  Too many park for longer than 2 hours  Summer yes, winter no  Not enough spaces, long term parkers (day-trippers) park for too long  No signs, too many locals taking up long slots of time on main  Employees parking on the street  • Everyone wants to park on Main street as close to their destination as possible. There are just not enough spaces on the street. Also most businesses on Main street do not have parking spaces for their employees or customers. 17 Not enough clearly marked space. Also could use signage to point to "long term" or those biking /hiking/fishing/kayaking, etc. As opposed to short term for diners/shoppers

22. Cars parking on shoulder of Broadway present quite an ugly appearance and completely contradicts the beautiful work on Main Street. Unfortunately, everyone seeing our pretty side will be left with the impression of our ugly side. Many of the businesses on Broadway have more than adequate parking for their business. The ones that don't, make it ugly for all. Folks are finally pulling over to spend some time in our towns businesses and then are greeted with a Ticket when they get back to their car. I personally have seen the disappointment on many an out- of-towners face.  Only on summer weekends. Too many employees park downtown; and it is hard to get in the parking spaces on main street  Make room in the back and put signs up   Too many folks parking all day long.  Weekends we are at capacity during the April-October season. People who might stop in town see no spots on the main drag and inadequate signage pointing them to other parking areas. #1Does the downtown area have a parking problem?

23. #2: Do you feel that the current enforcement hours on weekends in the summer time of 8a.m.-6 p.m. on Main Street are appropriate? We need all day parking areas Year-round All week None 8:00 - 8:00 p.m. Maybe during the festivals but all summer long is giving the town a bad rep. We are not that popular a town yet that we can ticket people for staying to actually enjoy shopping and dinner and strolling in our town. It should go to 3 hours, or not have it at all. I see no evidence of enforcement. Not sure if that makes it good or bad. There should be no enforcement! Drives business away. Have employees use parking at Post Office or anyplace away from Downtown would be a better solution. One ticket and you have lost the customer for a long time! Yes but when employees need to park there its hard we need loading zones.

24. #3: Should the Town enforce 2-hour parking on summer weekends on Main Street?

25. #4: Should the Town enforce 2 hour parking on summer weekends on High Street?

26. Q#5: Can customers easily locate parking for your business?

27. Q#6:Is there sufficient parking for employees?

28. Q#7:Do you think it would be helpful to have additional parking lots where employees could park? • Railroad Ave by sandstone park • We have sufficient space, but other businesses’ employees often use our customer spaces • We need an overall plan • We need parking for bicyclists • We have an employee lot • Ask employees to park by their own store • For those businesses that do not have enough real estate to accommodate parking; it seems that most businesses do not abide by the current municipal code requirements for employee parking. • If it meant that Broadway didn't look like a car repair lot with cars all stuck on the median. • As long as they are still close to our business • Most locals should walk or ride their bikes to work. • particularly in the high season • During the summer the employees should park by the firehouse

29. Q#8: Does employee parking negatively affect your business? • Employees park all day • Block customer parking • We do have overflow problems • Takes away parking from customers • not necessarily, the shop doesn't have more than one person here at a time.... • not just employees, but town people who come to main st and park all day hanging out in the coffee shops • Limited spaces should be for customers, employees should park at lot across from P. O or anywhere else but in the downtown area! • It takes away from the customer parking

30. Q#9: Do current parking/street signs do a good job of telling people where to park? • We need better signage • 2 hour signs aren't visible • No signs on High, & no signs on Main • Lack of signs for public parking • Need more signage • Need to be placed as folks drive into town, not at the point where they turn • Bigger signs, more places • Can always improve • I don't pay attention • "No festival" parking signs confuse tourists • Need to be more visible.

31. We definitely clear directions to parking from the highway throughout town. • haven't noticed these types of signs. • signage is horrible.   • Signs are too few, too small and too late. There is virtually no parking signage for eastbound traffic on RT 7 & 36. • We need better signage • Should be signage directing people at the triangle to the across from the P. O. Parking and along the park parking  • I can't recall seeing a sign directing people where to park, so I guess they're not visible enough. Signs do not tell cars they can't park on CDOT's median, though they have no legal right to park there. • Too few, too ambiguous • 2hr parking signs that are randomly enforced. Q#9: Do current parking/street signs do a good job of telling people where to park?

32. Q#10: Is there adequate parking for bicyclists for your business?

33. Q#11: Would you like to see seasonal parking meters on Main Street and/or High Street? • They should be year round • For income and parking control • All year • If it stopped misuse of our lot. Standard in most towns • We could use the revenue • No!!!!!! • No! • Main only • No, no, no - we are not Boulder! • More Money for the town • Absolutely. revenue and accountability. • I am not sure. Maybe it would make some $$$ for the town and people would not leave their cars all day. • Very unfriendly! • Mainly during the summer

34. Q#12: Do residents who live and park downtown negatively affect parking for your business? • Many park on main all day • Too many residents park downtown • Use our lot when working or shopping anywhere • Residents park at Lyons Valley Village and take the bus, they leave their cars all day • Sometimes • Yes, because there are limited street parking places and residents occupy them for long periods of time. • Those that park on median in front of my building present a very unattractive view of my building. • quite often there are locals that park on main for hours. • some residents park on main st ALL day • its hard to mix the two

35. Q#13. Do special events (music, sporting events, etc.) negatively impact parking for your business? • Signs are not enforced • Any extra events makes parking worse and negatively impacts my business • Festival parking blocks customers • Most park in designated areas • People park all day for the festivals • Festivals do • We might as well close during good old days and any other event on high street • Enforcement helped this too • Attendees at these events just want to park and go to the event. They have no regard for the impact on locals or businesses. • A big effort should be made to get ALL FESTIVAL GOERS TO PARK IN BOHN PARK. It is counter productive for them to park in the business and residential areas, plugging up all the town, where no one can stop and shop, etc., while they are at the festival all day and sometimes overnight. They should be given a Big fine for parking downtown •  sometimes not seriously, and no. I think the festivals bring business and have ample parking for their patrons.. •  The lack of parking overflows into the business parking lot which then effects the customers of Winter Plaza • Absolutely! And Oskar Blues too; people park on street for there too

36. Q#14: If customers wanted to park longer than 2 hours, would you like to see the Town implement a parking validation program that would allow you to validate their parking?

37. Q#15: Other comments or suggestions: • Want to see bike racks, want to see tickets issued • We need parking lots or garages • If you have to have a limit, validation should be a requirement. A lot of our customers visit for more than 2 hours • Town should give a 20% off coupon to those ticketed be used anywhere in Lyons (paid for by the town) so people don't have a bad taste left in their mouth • Fix Broadway now that you've got main street and high street done. • Main street needs some provisions for efficient motorcycle parking They tend to take up more spaces than needed. • If it is truly not about making money for the town( which is what i have been told) and it is about the businesses then please stop ticketing all the regular folks that are just trying to enjoy our town. Handle cars left for days on a case by case basis. At least on my block of main. • Two hours should give them time enough to eat and shop...if they are just sitting on the patio, then I would say no. • No. I think if they need to park for longer, they should park off of Main St. • Validation would be easily abused for friends and customers. • More bike racks downtown! Locals should be walking or riding their bikes! • The bicyclists come in 4 or 5 cars, park and take off for the day biking in Hall Ranch. I have seen this as a huge problem • Take a chill pill on issuing tickets to paying customers and communicate to employers to not allow themselves or employees to park in limited parking spaces downtown. • Sounds like the parking validation could get a little complicated and cumbersome. I would also like to see more than one free resident parking pass for the parks like maybe two per household.

38. Parking in Parks • Meadow Park has $5 parking during spring and summer weekends. This has been very successful in that the parking lot is full every weekend, and revenue has been a supplement to the Parks and Rec budget. • Bohn Park implemented $5 parking in 2011, with little negative feedback. The Town will continue to charge to park in Bohn Park during the summer. • CSO patrolling of the parks should continue, as a significant portion of ticket revenue came from Meadow and Bohn Park parking lots. • Lyons residents are able to obtain one free parking pass per household.

39. Public Rights-of-Way • Capital Improvement Plans need to address public parking along town streets. Curb, gutter, sidewalks, landscaping and other infrastructure solutions can help provide more public parking options.

40. Public Parking The Town has been able to create some public parking on public land a couple of blocks away from Main Street. Ideally, these lots will be used for longer-term day parking and for employees to park and walk to work. Much discussion has ensued regarding diagonal parking on 4th Avenue. Engineering studies have shown that the slope between Main and Broadway is too steep. Signal lights would have to be replaced to current standards if parking is modified near the Main/4th Avenue intersection. Cost/benefit unjustifiable for three additional spaces.

41. Short Term Solutions: 1-2 Years • Review and update current ordinances  Develop and implement Comprehensive Signage and Wayfinding Program • Improve signage to include specific hours of enforcement, ie: May-Oct. • Keep CSO enforcement for summer weekends in 2012 • Increase duties of CSOs to include park and residential code enforcement • Adopt policy regarding non-paying violators • Annual evaluation of effectiveness of enforcement • Allow public parking at Town Hall during weekends • Use social media to educate public on parking alternatives • Monitor parking trends on High Street • Work with Chamber to educate businesses re: employee parking options • p

42. Mid Term Solutions: 2-5 Years • Develop policy to increase number of bike racks • Consider Reduction/elimination of off-street parking requirements for Commercial Downtown Zone District • Explore parking validation program • Incentivize private lot owners to open their lots for public use (revenue from parking tickets?) • Park and Walk Awareness Campaign • Create formal parking enforcement policies along Broadway Right-of-Way • Town-wide special event Parking plan

43. Long-Term Solutions • Move Skate Park and Eco Cycle Bins out of Downtown • Create parking along east, west and possible north sides of Sandstone Park • Budget for curb and gutter near the downtown to maximize public right-of-way parking • EDC review the Downtown Improvement Plan and make recommendations on parking and Broadway improvements • Apply for grant funding for Broadway streetscape and parking improvements

44. Next Steps Keep track of parking enforcement issues in 2012. This will be the first year of full summer enforcement of correct areas in town. Identify the break-even point when parking ticket revenue no longer covers CSO expenses. Identify responsible parties to implement short-term solutions. Identify, prioritize and fundlong-term solutions.