City Council to discuss paid parking in upcoming work session

Evening traffic at Kimball Junction on SR 224, where the proposed Dakota Pacific development is under consideration. Photo: TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah — With Winter on the horizon, Park City is looking for ways to reduce traffic, improve transit and protect neighborhoods. To address this, staff are proposing paid daytime parking as a critical driver for reducing parking and congestion issues. City Council is set to discuss the proposed parking plan during a work session as a part of their September 1 meeting, continuing the Winter 2022/23 Transportation conversation from the July 28 City Council meeting.

Daytime paid parking is cited by city staff as having a significant effect on congestion. The thought is parking at a cost will steer people to use public transit, prompting an increase in ridership. Daytime paid parking can also provide a barrier to spillover from resort visitors.

The proposed paid parking plan would require the Historic Park Alliance and other stakeholders to walk the line between economics for businesses and supporting Transportation Demand Management. One example given would place a three-hour max on Main Street Parking with a cost of up to $30. The China Bridge Parking Garage is an example of 24-hour max parking, with one hour starting at $2 and maxing out at $25 for the day.

One focal point in the parking initiatives is protecting resident parking. Old Town currently provides resident permit parking zones enforced by parking services. For other neighborhoods, there is signage and stationing officers at key intersections on peak or special event days.

The city has four parking designations around Park City: no street parking, permitted parking, time-limited parking, and private parking. Each designation is listed as a different color in their interactive map.