Timed Free Parking Approved

On August 16, 2023, the Town Council adopted Ordinance 3873-23 establishing free three hour and free 15-minute parking in specific areas of downtown to address parking concerns, encourage parking turnover, and support the economic vitality of the downtown area. Please check out the Windsor Parking Guide for a more detailed map. The specific blocks recommended for the conversion to timed parking include:

• McClelland Drive between Market Street and Windsor Road
• DuVander Lane,
• Windsor Road between Emily Rose Circle and Windsor River Road

These blocks represent 119 parking spaces that would be converted to three hour-timed and four 15-minute parking spaces to accommodate quick visits to restaurants and pharmacies. 

Creating free timed parking within the downtown core was a key recommendation of the 2020 Parking Study. The implementation and enforcement of the new free timed parking will begin on November 14, 2023, and the hours that timed parking will be enforced are 8 AM - 6 PM.

Background

On January 15, 2020, the Town Council approved the Downtown Parking Management Study to assess existing and future parking conditions within the downtown area and establish strategies for meeting future parking demands.

The approved Final Parking Study, Town Council Staff Report, and the associated appendices are available for review by clicking on the following links:

• Final Downtown Windsor Parking Study
• January 15, 2020, Town Council Staff Report
• Parking Study Area
• Appendix A – Planning Context
• Appendix B – Parking Demand Analysis
• Appendix C – Public Meeting Summaries

In 2018, the Town was awarded a Planned Development Area Staffing Assistance Planning Grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). The Staffing Assistance grant, supplemented by funding from the Town, was used to fund the preparation of a Downtown Parking Management Plan. The Parking Management Plan was prepared by the consulting firm of Nelson Nygaard of San Francisco under contract with MTC. Nelson Nygaard is a recognized leader in planning for all areas of transportation and has extensive experience in conducting parking studies.

Community Workshops were held on April 8, 2019 and October 17, 2019 to receive input from the community on parking in the downtown area. In April, the Workshop consisted of an open house where community members commented on long-term parking and the impact of Town Green events, the SMART train and future development (such as hotels) on parking in downtown Windsor. In October, a presentation was provided on the proposed parking management strategies.