July 30, 2026

Taking Delivery Trucks Off Downtown Streets

In downtown Breckenridge, CO, the streets are narrow, the snowfall is plentiful, and the bars and restaurants are bustling. All of that leads to a not-so-great outcome when it comes to downtown walkability — during ski season, delivery trucks and pedestrians compete for space on icy streets and sidewalks.

In late 2024, Breckenridge launched a pilot program that moved large trucks to a staging area and shifted deliveries destined for downtown restaurants and bars to smaller vehicles, which are just 11 feet long and 4 feet wide. That means fewer trucks downtown and less curb space dominated by delivery vehicles, reports Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter.

In April, the town council voted to make the pilot program permanent. And set fees for food distributors that choose to participate.

Distributors have found that the fees are offset by lower labor, fuel, and operational costs. 

More on creative solutions to keep downtown streets safe and walkable appears regularly in Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter.

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Tactical Urbanism: Short-Term Action
for Long-Term Change

Short-term, community-based projects — from pop-up parks to open streets — have become a powerful and adaptable tool for downtown activists, planners, and policy-makers seeking to drive lasting improvements in their cities.

These quick, often low-cost and creative projects are the essence of tactical urbanism.

Whether creating vibrant plazas seemingly overnight or re-imagining parking spaces as neighborhood gathering places, they offer a way to gain public and government support for investing in permanent projects.

Written by Mike Lydon and Anthony Garcia, Tactical Urbanism will inspire citizens, nonprofits, and government leaders to transform public spaces to meet local needs and challenges. The book includes:

• A brief history of the tactical urbanism movement.
• Detailed case studies, including guerilla wayfinding, intersection repair, park-making, pavement to plazas, and more.
• A toolkit for conceiving, planning, and carrying out projects, including how to adapt them based on local needs and challenges.

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Tactical Urbanism is just one of the many books on Economic Development available from the Downtown Development Center.