Breckenridge – On the busy days in this ski town, downtown parking spaces can be as rare as the gold nuggets that attracted people here in the first place.
Despite a three-hour limit on the curbside spaces along Main Street, town officials contend that locals and workers monopolize the best spots in front of restaurants and stores, sometimes even swapping spaces with each other during the day to avoid tickets.
“There are restaurants in town that I frequent where the four spaces outside the door are the four guys who are working that night,” Town Councilman Eric Mamula said.
And the problem is likely to worsen beginning today, when Breckenridge ski area begins charging for parking near its new gondola, pushing some budget-conscious skiers onto the streets.
“If it’s a $15 charge to park at the ski area, I can see where somebody from the Front Range would think it’s worth the risk of a $20 ticket” to park longer than allowed on town streets, said Town Council member Jeffrey Bergeron. Parking passes are $15 a day for some areas, but the resort will charge $10 at the Minings and Tailings lots, next to the gondola.
Parking shortages are nothing new to ski towns, many of which were platted in the 1800s on a horse-and-buggy scale. Park City, Utah; Truckee, Calif.; and Aspen are among the communities that have resorted to metered parking to limit automotive squatters.
But Breckenridge officials have been reluctant to take that step, contending that meters don’t fit with the town’s Victorian atmosphere and spaces are available if people are willing to walk a few blocks.
“We have plenty of parking spaces. They’re just not necessarily in the places where they’re the most convenient,” said Town Manager Tim Gagen.
Although new parking garages are being considered, land and construction costs can be prohibitive. Adding 32 spaces to one lot recently cost about $2 million.
In the meantime, officials are considering a guaranteed-parking pass program to encourage workers to park in the town’s outlying lots and ride the town’s free shuttle buses, leaving the close-in parking for visitors.
Mayor Ernie Blake also wants to establish escalating penalties for repeat offenders, noting that some are cited 15 times a year.
“There are people taking advantage of this … and I don’t have a problem taking advantage of them,” he said.
Staff writer Steve Lipsher can be reached at 970-513-9495 or at slipsher@denverpost.com.
