After announcing last week that Stowe will be adding paid parking to its main lots next season, Vail Resorts has doubled down on this strategy. TownLift reports that the parking lots over at Park City Mountain will now charge for parking every day of the week. Reservations will also be required as part of this new system. The following lots will become paid parking: Silver King, Main, and First Time. The lots at the Canyons Village, Park City High School (on weekends and holidays), and High Valley Transit Park-n-Ride will remain free. Guests who show up at 1 pm will be able to park for free, and no reservation will be needed. Based on this document found by TownLift, the rate will likely be $25 a day. This is comparable to Solitude’s parking rate of $25 for one rider in a vehicle, and Alta’s $25 reservation rate that was introduced for the 2021-22 ski season. Park City Mountain Resort predicts that this new parking system will reduce traffic by 11%.
Tactically speaking, you have to wonder if Vail Resorts is doing this to advance their building proposals in the Park City base area. The new complex would include “condominiums, affordable housing, employee housing, day-skier parking garages, a hotel, retail and restaurant offerings (to complement current commercial activity), a ski club, public ski lockers for day and seasonal use, skier services, state-of-the-art wayfinding, the ability for the National Ability Center to build its new facility, current green building opportunities, and open space plazas.” This is not well-liked by locals, due to the new buildings taking away some of the best parking access to the slopes. Paid parking is also expected to be part of this new setup.
As I said in my last article about Vail Resorts paid parking plans at Stowe, I imagine that this won’t be the last time we see this being implemented at their properties for next season. 
Image Credits: Town Lift, Park City Mountain
