The town of Vail's winter parking program goes into effect Nov. 14, with the Town Council approving a $10 per hour charge for a maximum of five hours on peak days.
That's up from a maximum of four hours last season, one of a couple of changes aimed at raising an additional $400,000 to pay for maintenance on the town's aging parking structures.
The other major change from last season is the fact that non-peak days will now charge $10 per hour, up from the $10 total for the first three hours that the town charged last season. Peak days will be Friday through Sunday, as well as additional days during holidays.
The first hour will remain free, and cars that enter the structure after 3 p.m. will not be charged, as well, as long as they do not stay overnight. Cars that stay overnight will be charged $60, which is the same as last year.
Town of Vail Parking Operations Manager Steph Kashiwa said the town's parking and mobility task force tried to simplify the pay structure for this winter, saying the task force aimed "not to change anything too much, but also to get a little funding as well."
With the town charging for summer parking for the first time in its history, Kashiwa said the task force did not want to create more disruption by making major changes for the winter, as well.
But the town is also aiming to fund an ongoing maintenance program for the aging structures in Vail and Lionshead, which will cost about $2 million per year. The added maintenance will allow the town to continue to use the aging structures despite the fact that they are reaching the end of their life expectancy.
The expected life of a parking structure is five decades; the Vail Village parking structure is now 50 years old and the Lionshead structure is 45 years old.
The summer parking program was expected to bring in about $2.5 million in revenues, but that program fell about $900,000 short of that expectation, instead bringing in $1.7 million. The estimated $400,000 in additional revenues projected for the upcoming ski season will attempt to partially make up for that gap, said Tom Kassmel, the town's director of public works and transportation.
"This effort was to gain back half of that this winter," Kassmel said. "Obviously, with summer, there's potential to come back and recommend something a little bit different for summer rates, to try and also help make that up."
A demand-based program that would charge more for powder days could probably bring in additional revenues, but the town is stopping short of that measure for now, Kassmel said.
The Town Council was supportive of the plan, voting unanimously in favor of it on Sept. 16.
"It's a great simplification," said Council member Sam Bisantz.
Vail and Eagle County locals can receive discounts on parking by purchasing a parking pass, which will go on sale Oct. 23.
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