Estes Park approves new all-day parking pass

ESTES PARK — Travelers in Estes Park soon will have a new option to pay for parking. The Estes Park Town Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a pilot program testing a new all-day paid parking pass available for sale.

The Express Pass will allow visitors to pay for all-day parking ahead of their trips, with options for one-, two- and three-day passes. Customers can purchase the pass through the Estes Parking app or online.

Currently, visitors who park in paid lots must pay $2 for every hour they park in one of Estes Park’s public paid parking lots. The Express Pass charges $12 for one day, $22 for two days and $30 for three consecutive days.

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While the Express Pass system ensures easier payment, it does not guarantee that parking spaces will be available on the day it is purchased. Passes also will not be sold during high-traffic events, such as holidays or Estes Park’s Elk Fest.

The purpose of the pilot program, which starts in the middle of the traditional paid parking season, is to collect data on the usage of all-day parking passes. Estes Park parking manager Vanessa Solesbee explained the purpose of the program at the June 28 Town Board meeting.

“The permit would be available for anyone, but it was really meant to speak to frequent day-trippers, folks that were maybe staying for several days at a local lodging establishment or vacation rental, or those who come up frequently but do not have access to the local permit,” Solesbee said.

Estes Park has worked to become more accessible to a growing number of tourists. Denver and Boulder county residents can now reach the town and Rocky Mountain National Park through a new Bustang line that launched in April.

At the June 28 meeting of the board of trustees, another measure surrounding the clearing of hazards from pedestrian right-of-ways also passed unanimously.