Town of Telluride: Launching Diagonal Parking Pilot!

16 Apr Town of Telluride: Launching Diagonal Parking Pilot!

Town of Telluride launches diagonal parking pilot.

New layout on Colorado Avenue aims to boost parking availability, support local businesses, and improve street safety.

Go here for more posts about the Town of Telluride.

To submit feedback throughout the pilot, please visit bit.ly/totparkingpilot.

The Town of Telluride has launched a diagonal parking pilot program on the north side of Colorado Avenue between Aspen Street and Davis Street. The pilot is part of a broader strategy to address parking challenges in the downtown core by increasing available space, enhancing safety for drivers and pedestrians, and supporting local business access.

With Telluride’s finite public parking options and increasing demand in historic downtown, the diagonal parking pilot is designed to create more available spaces in a high-traffic area. The diagonal layout is expected to create more parking spots along one of Telluride’s busiest commercial blocks, adding 14 additional parking spaces.

“This pilot is just one piece of our overall parking strategy,” said Public Works Director Kyle Beck. “From improving signage and enforcement to exploring remote parking and transit options, we’re committed to building a smarter, more efficient parking system that works for our community.”

The pilot also helps offset impacts from other upcoming construction projects that will temporarily reduce parking availability. The Pacific Avenue infrastructure project, which stretches from Mahoney Drive to Davis Street, will require the use of Carhenge for staging—similar to the South Tomboy sewer main relocation project. Additionally, parking on side streets adjacent to Colorado Avenue will be temporarily used for the Town’s accessibility ramp improvements throughout the summer.

Diagonal parking not only expands capacity but also brings important safety benefits. Compared to parallel parking, diagonal spaces offer better visibility and reduce the risk of collisions. Drivers are less likely to swing into traffic unexpectedly, and vehicles tend to move at slower speeds—creating a safer experience for pedestrians and cyclists.

Increased parking near local businesses is expected to support the Town’s economic vitality by improving customer access and reducing the time drivers spend searching for parking.

“More parking means more foot traffic for shops and restaurants,” said Telluride Mayor Teddy Errico. “This effort supports our business community, that needs vitality, while addressing a need we hear again and again from the public.”

Communities such as Delta, Montrose, and Grand Junction have already embraced angled parking, even on roadways with significantly higher speed limits than Telluride’s.