City limiting parking at Commons Ford park starting July 4 once capacity reached

Editor's note: The video above is from previous coverage about neighbors telling KXAN about overcrowding at Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Wednesday, the City of Austin said in a release it will limit parking at Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park for July 4, as well as for other "high use periods."

Starting Thursday, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) "will limit parking to specified areas within Commons Ford," the release said.

There is one way in and out of the park, which is a narrow, two-way road that typically sees cars parked on both sides as people visit to take a dip in Lake Austin. Neighbors previously told KXAN's Dylan McKim that the problem is amplified during holidays when people try to look for events happening outdoors.

The city said once capacity is reached, no other vehicles will be allowed to enter the park, the release said. Furthermore, no parking is "allowed outside the park's gated entrance." Any vehicles that park outside the entrance are "subject to towing," the city said.

Park Rangers will also assist with directing traffic and will explain "the change in operations," the release said.

The city said those who decide to visit the park should "be considerate of each other and local residents, carpool when possible, and practice Leave No Trace principles." Those principles can be viewed on the city website.

Dylan McKim contributed to this report.