Melissa Rademacher
Road improvements, fun events, perception of no parking, unique mix of boutiques, detours, great food options…’tis the season.
When it comes to downtown construction, there can be too much of a good thing. When it comes to downtown parking, there often seems to never be enough. The combination of development, revitalization, repair and construction is really great to see in terms of city-growth. But when the temptations of cool events, great businesses and delicious food are all surrounded by cranes, it can cause a little more stress in people’s lives when trying to determine what to do.
A lot is going on and it impacts parking. However, there is parking downtown. You just need to know where to look and we are here to help.
Parking
90 min – 4 hr parking options are available throughout downtown
4th Street Surface Lot
20 4th Street North
Free evenings 5 p.m. – 8 a.m. and weekends
3rd Street Surface Lot
320 Machinery Row North
Free evenings 5 p.m. – 8 a.m. and weekends
Main Avenue Surface Lot
501 Main Avenue
Free evenings 5 p.m. – 8 a.m. and weekends
All City lots are FREE after 5 p.m. and on all weekends
Broadway N
Coming soon…
Block 9 Parking Ramp
Corner of 5th Street and 3rd Avenue North (Approximately Aug 2019) – 380 spots
Mercantile Parking Ramp
409 Broadway (Approximately in Sept 2020) – 370 spots
Parking facilities continue to be discussed and are vital for Downtown Fargo to accommodate growing numbers of people living and working here. The City is in communication with future developers in creating public/private partnerships to create additional parking that is open to the public. This approach will provide long-term benefits for our growing community.
Visit Fargoparking.com for more details.
If you don’t want to drive, you have options, too!
RIDE
MATBUS
You can get almost anywhere in the community using MATBUS. LinkFM is a free bus that goes around downtown Fargo and Moorhead every 12-15 minutes.
matbus.com
BIKE
With 11 stations and 100 bikes, Great Rides Bike Share is a great way to catch a ride if you don’t own your own bicycle.
greatrides.bcycle.com
Have your own wheels? Bike lockers are available for rent from the City of Fargo at the following locations:
NP Avenue Lot
2nd Avenue South Lot
GTC garage
Find a Fargo-Moorhead bikeways map at Bikefm.org
CONSTRUCTION
To help find out more about construction in our community, visit
fargond.gov/live/fargostreets
Parking Ramps
The parking ramp arm should not be intimidating. Parking ramps are convenient in the sense that you know there will always be a parking spot available, saving time circling the streets or simply forgetting where you parked.
Roberts Commons Garage
217 Roberts St N
Daily Rate:
0-2 hours: Free
2-4 hours: $3
4-6 hours: $5
All day: $8
Free evenings from 5 p.m. – 8 a.m. and weekends
The Roberts Commons Garage is home to 454 spots and accommodates 200-300 hourly parkers per day. That’s in addition to more than 350 monthly contract parkers.
Civic Center Ramp
411 2nd Avenue North
Daily Rate:
$1.50 / Hour
$7.50 All-Day
Free evenings 5 p.m. – 3 a.m. and weekends – 250 spots
Island Park
515 1st Avenue South
Free evenings 5 p.m. – 8 a.m. and weekends – 355 spots
Once all the dust settles, the improvements, amenities and changes are worth the wait. The roads need to be taken care of. New parking options continue to be added. How we react to these—albeit pesky—changes is something we have control over. You should feel good about coming to Downtown Fargo to show your support and continue to visit all of the locally owned and operated businesses in the heart of Fargo. We are worth the extra five minutes in traffic or a two block walk.
