Parking & High Use
With attendance growing year over year, Larkspur Community Center can be a very busy place, and its parking lot can often reflect that.
Parking capacity can be an issue during Larkspur’s high-use times, and with the Art Station construction temporarily occupying a portion of the parking lot, the issue has increased while the available parking spots have decreased.
To help, the district has acted on several items including shifting programs and operations, adding temporary parking spots and having staff park off site. More on those actions is listed below.
BPRD staff are also working to see if expanding beyond the City of Bend’s parking space limit is possible. Larkspur’s quantity of 240 parking spots is already beyond the city code permitted (we built more than the limit in 2021), and without another exception from the city, the district can’t build additional parking.
For our patrons, we have several suggestions that you can consider to make a difference during high use. This includes attending at lower use times, carpooling or using alternative transportation. We even have incentives and prizes for you through a Larkspur Carpool Parking Program.
Read on below to learn more.
About Larkspur’s limited parking
Year over year, new attendance records have been set since Larkspur’s opening in 2021. While the attendance has grown, the number of parking spaces approved by the City of Bend has not been able to grow. In fact, the city’s code restricts Larkspur’s parking to 240 spots, and right now, the district can’t build more parking. We have conducted studies that show more parking is warranted and continue to research the feasibility of expanding parking with an exception beyond city code restrictions.
Parking impacts with the Art Station
Temporarily occupying several parking spaces, the Art Station construction is anticipated to be completed in the summer. Once the Art Station opens, its class schedules and sizes will be programmed to have very low to no impact on parking during high-use times.
BPRD's steps to address parking issues
Here are some of the steps that Bend Park and Recreation District has taken to help alleviate parking congestion:
- Expanded virtual fitness class access to 25+ classes per week.
- Paused adding any new weekday morning fitness and social programs.
- Whenever feasible, we have shifted programs to afternoons and during less busy times.
- Discontinued external weekday rentals before 1:00 p.m.
- Moved internal BPRD meetings off-site or to virtual formats.
- Created a staff gravel parking area, removing 10–15 vehicles on average from the main lot.
- Asked part-time staff to park in nearby neighborhoods or to walk/bike to work.
- Created a carpool program.
- Researching additional parking options.
Tips for patrons for high-use times & parking
October through April is a busy time of year for indoor recreation and when facilities see an increase in visitors. Here are some tips for sharing space, equipment and time together.
PARKING: Please consider the following to help crowded parking lots if you need to visit during high use.
- Could you change your workout or activity to a lower use time?
- Could you carpool with a friend to reduce a vehicle? If yes, consider Larkspur’s carpool program. See below.
- Or how about using public transit? Cascade East Transit serves both Larkspur and Juniper. You can check routes and schedules online.
- Or how about combining a walk, roll or bike ride with your facility visit via pedestrian and cycling routes? Visit the BPRD trails webpage for more information.
ABOUT LOWER USE TIMES: For attending during lower facility use times, do a Google search for the facility you’re visiting. The business profile displays the location, hours and current facility use alongside high- and low-use times for each day of the week. Hint: Early mornings, evenings and weekends tend to be the lightest use.
Fitness center low-use times: If you are coming on weekdays to use the fitness center, early mornings before 8:00 a.m. and mid-afternoons tend to be a good time. If you really want some space, the fitness center is at its quietest after 6:00 p.m.
Look for other class times: Many fitness classes and swim sessions are offered throughout the week and at different times of day. Check schedules to see if there’s a class that might work for you outside of the busy morning timeframe.
Busiest vs. lightest days of the week: Mondays are Larkspur’s busiest day of the entire week; Thursdays tend to be the least busy day of the week.
Duplicate offerings at Juniper: Fitness, Swim & Skate Passes are also good at Juniper Swim & Fitness Center, and many of the same fitness classes and swim sessions are offered there too.
Larkspur Carpool Parking Program
The Larkspur Parking Saver Carpool Program is designed to make visiting Larkspur Community Center easier for everyone.
By sharing rides with friends, family or neighbors, you can help reduce parking lot congestion and free up parking spaces, helping make it quicker and less stressful to find a parking spot upon arrival.
Carpooling has other benefits – cutting down on traffic and emissions and giving you a chance to connect with fellow BPRD patrons. We encourage you to give carpooling a try.
How to participate:
- Register your carpool at the Larkspur front desk. Share basic information about your vehicle and your carpooling group, then you’ll be assigned an official placard for your rearview mirror.
- Carpooling spaces will be on the parking lot’s east side near the park’s bocce courts.
- Clearly signed, the spaces are limited to registered carpool participants, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, with a 2-hour maximum.
- For each carpool ride, participants can enter a monthly raffle drawing to win Back Porch Coffee gift cards and other prizes.
- Carpoolers’ placards feature a QR code to scan and enter, or you can fill out a physical ticket at Larkspur.
- Carpools must have a minimum of 3 riders (1 driver, 2 passengers) to utilize the select parking spaces and qualify for raffle entry.
If you are a cyclist, pedestrian or use public transportation, logging your trips is a great way to earn your chance at prizes and helps free up parking too! Want to know more about public transportation? Visit the Google Map with Cascade East Transit routes to Larkspur.
Carpool Program Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My “Larkspur” friends don’t live near me. What can I do?
A: Try meeting up at Larkspur’s neighboring parks such as Ponderosa or Alpenglow parks and carpool from there.
Q: We want to take turns driving. Does everyone need a pass?
A: Passes may be shared within a registered carpool group, if all members are listed on the sign-up form and license plate information is on file. Otherwise, passes are non-transferable.
Q: Why are three riders required instead of two?
A: Our goal is to make the program as effective as possible. With 11 reserved spots and a minimum of three riders per vehicle, the program offsets parking lost due to the Art Station construction and helps relieve congestion from the increase in facility use we see this time of year. Additionally, many couples already travel together and this program is intended to reduce the total number of cars, not provide preferential parking to people who in most cases would already be riding together.
Q: Eleven carpool spots seems like a lot. How was this number determined?
A: This is a pilot program, and we had to start somewhere. We aimed to strike a balance—reserving enough spots to make a meaningful impact without taking away too many spaces from patrons for whom carpooling isn’t practical.
Questions or concerns? Contact:
Two dedicated functional fitness spaces, with floor to ceiling windows and lots of natural light, are complete with mirrors, bars, fitness equipment and a maple sprung floor – perfect for high-intensity exercise. Yoga, Pilates, cardio, strengthening, Zumba and more! 
Larkspur’s state-of-the-art Fitness Center equipment includes: