Colorado State Fair attendees can expect some parking changes, return of free shuttle.

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Because there never seems to be enough parking on the Colorado State Fairgrounds, officials have taken steps to provide more of it by making a few changes this year.

VIP parking has moved to the overflow lot near the Calvary Baptist Church, across the street from the Prairie Avenue entrance.

That switch will provide more spaces at the $10 public parking lot on the south end of the fairgrounds, between Mesa Avenue and Northern Avenue.

For the first time, the public parking has a flat fee, instead of fees that were higher on some days and lower on others.

Meanwhile, the employee parking lot is now where the VIP parking used to be -- at Gate 2.

The changes are in response to survey results from fairgoers.

"In the off-season, as a full-time team, we put together some task forces to take a look at what we could do better, said Andrea Wiesenmeyer, the fair's general manager. "What had been suggested through a lot of our surveys, we do pay attention to those. And one of the things that came out of that, that we felt like was really important, was parking."

For drivers who dread the time and trouble of finding a parking spot near the fairgrounds, officials are teaming up with Pueblo Transit to again offer a new addition -- a free shuttle bus service.

Free shuttle parking is at the downtown parking garage on Main Street, just north of the police station, and the bus stop is outside the garage.

Buses will run every 15 minutes between the downtown stop and the Prairie entrance; hours are from 3 p.m. until midnight during the week, and from 11 a.m. to midnight on weekends.

"We saw more people riding the shuttle last year," Wiesenmeyer explained. "I talked to a number of people as they were leaving for the day and was able to talk to some people about how easy access that was for them. They really didn't want to have to walk from a long distance. And when they were ready to go, then they didn't have to walk a long distance after they walked at the fair all day."

The shuttle includes a brief tour of some of Pueblo's historic areas.