E-bike rebates, free summer public transportation and free employee parking downtown proved to be popular programs after debuting this year, so much so that Durango City Council approved $397,500 in lodgers tax funds to continue the programs and fund other purchases in 2024.
City Council approved a staff funding request for $4,500 to relaunch its free summer employee parking program for downtown workers next year. It also approved $115,000 to bring back free summer public transit services in June 2024 through August 2024.
The city’s e-bike rebate program introduced this summer will also continue and expand next year with a City Council funding appropriation of $50,000.
City Council also approved $41,000 for Durango Police Department to purchase a fotokite, an event security and crowd monitoring drone; $80,000 for Schneider Park and Animas River Trail improvements; and $107,000 for a meridian anti-vehicle barrier and trailer system.
City staff originally planned to pitch a request for two meridian anti-vehicle barriers, but determined the other funding requests could be met if the city purchases just one barrier, which was recommended to councilors on Oct. 17.
Councilor Dave Woodruff said free transit and parking “is a great way to support not only our local economy but our local workforce.”
He said it can be hard to manage who is eligible for free summer parking, but he knows downtown restaurant and hospitality workers benefited from the debut program.
“I think there’s really tangible benefits that are immediate, that we could all benefit from those two programs,” he said.
Earlier this month, Durango transportation director Sarah Hill said the free summer rides program provided 123,507 free rides between June and August, a 22% increase from 96,585 rides provided for service fares in the same time frame last year.
Councilor Olivier Bosmans hesitated on providing free parking and free transit simultaneously, but voted with his colleagues to approve funding for both programs.
“I am actually very (pro-free transit). I think that was a great program. But I find it a bit hard to sell to say we do free transit and we do free parking at the same time,” he said. “I know that it’s a little bit more nuanced than that because the parking goes to specific areas that are underutilized. That’s something I would want to think a little more about.”
Councilor Jessika Buell said she wants the city to do more outreach notifying downtown workers of free parking passes for next summer.
The meridian anti-vehicle barrier and trailer system accounts for the largest individual chunk of funding approved by City Council last week.
A staff summary of the item in the City Council agenda packet says over 30 city-hosted events this year required road closures to vehicles, but the city “currently has no way to stop motor vehicles from intentionally or unintentionally entering these spaces.”
The city currently uses barricades as visual deterrents to drivers, but they can be easily broken by a runaway car or a reckless driver. Meridian anti-vehicle barriers, which resemble L-shaped metal plates that can be stationed in roadways to prevent vehicle access, are better at stopping vehicles, the summary says.
The original funding request was for $200,000 for two trailers worth of meridian anti-vehicle barricades, enough barriers to span major intersections like College Drive and Main Avenue.
One trailer worth of barriers isn’t enough to close such an intersection, but it would still be a good first investment, according to the summary.
cburney@durangoherald.com
