Here we go again. Another ski resort with crowding problems related to the over-selling of passes will try to implement paid parking reservations as a solution.
Park City Mountain Resort has confirmed today what many of us saw coming- the resort will require paid parking reservations 7 days per week at their Park City Mountain Village lots.
The fee for paid reservations will be $25/day from December 12th-April 2nd. Parking will be free in the Mountain Village lots after 1pm.
^Park City used to offer free parking at most of their Mountain Village Lots as shown in the map above.
Parking will remain free at all Canyon Village lots, Park City Highschool on weekends and holidays, and High Valley Park-n-Ride transit locations.
Here are the full details from Park City Mountain Resort:
UPCOMING PARKING CHANGES FOR 2022/23 SEASON
For the 2022/23 winter season, the Mountain Village base area will move to a parking reservation system with elements of paid parking, free parking, and carpooling and transit incentives. Paid reservations will be implemented at the Main, First Time and Silver King lots. Our goal is to better manage the overall parking experience, help alleviate congestion at our Mountain Village base area and in adjacent neighborhoods, and give guests a variety of options to access the Mountain Village base area.
- Reservations will be required seven days a week until 1:00 pm, and will be available online. After 1:00 pm, all parking will be free and no reservations will be required.
- The fee for paid reservations will be $25 per vehicle per day, beginning December 12 through April 2.
- Early and late season parking reservations will be free, but reservations will still be required.
- Reservations will be free for cars with four or more occupants.
- Free parking will remain available at the Canyons Village base area, Park City High School (on weekends and holidays) and High Valley Transit Park-n-Ride locations.
- In partnership with the City, Park City Mountain will establish a new traffic circulation plan in the Mountain Village base area that will prioritize bus and transit access seven days a week.Â
- Park City Mountain will implement text message alerts to provide updates to text subscribers in real time.Â
- See the PARK CITY PARKING and FAQ tabs below for more information.
I get that PCMR had to do something to alleviate the strain skier traffic was putting on the city, but damn… $25 for parking every single day of the week?
That fee is surely meant to encourage people to park at the Canyons lots, but that money will just be going to into the pockets of Vail Resorts. Go figure.
UPDATE 8/19/22: I received an email from a Vail Resorts employee who clarified where the funds from the paid parking will go. She said “…(the funds) will be reinvested in the overall transportation experience in the community. Our multi-pronged approach includes the parking reservation program itself – as well as additional transit, signage, staffing and use of Park City High School as our offsite option.”
I’m not exactly sure what that means, but yeah. Take it as you will.
Featured Image Credit: Matt Lorelli/Unofficial Networks