One dollar used to buy an hour’s worth of parking in high-demand areas on Main Avenue, like in front of the Durango Welcome Center. But the cost increased by 25 cents on Saturday in an effort to convince more drivers to use other parking spaces.

The fee hike is the city’s latest attempt to persuade downtown employees and business owners to use parking spaces off Main Avenue, thereby freeing up prime parking spaces for consumers.

Sarah Hill, city transportation director, said the rate increase targets downtown parking meters that are occupied 80% or more of the time in an effort to deter long-term parking and encourage more frequent turnover.

The rate increases will be in effect through the end of October. Hill said they are intentionally applied during the city’s busy tourism season. In years going forward, the raised rates will be in effect from May 1 to Oct. 31.

The rate increase means parking meters that used to cost $1 per hour – the highest rate in effect – will now cost $1.25 per hour. The time limits for parking meters aren’t changing, she said.

“The whole purpose of passing this demand pricing is to distribute some of the parking from the high-demand areas to other parking supply in the town,” she said.

A city news release said the rate increase came about after a city parking study showed “residents want parking management practices that ensure parking is available for the city’s customers where it is needed the most, and is in the highest demand.”

Wade Moore, parking operations manager, said the city has engaged with business owners and employees about utilizing less frequently used parking spaces to little effect.

He has previously said the Durango Transit Center, which has permit parking for $30 per month, often sits empty and isn’t being taken advantage of by people who frequent downtown.

In Aspen, public parking spaces cost $4 an hour and is limited to four-hour parking. In Breckenridge, parking rates are about $2 an hour. Grand Junction, on the other hand, charges 50 cents an hour and offers ample free parking.

“What we’re trying to do with that 25 cent increase is to get people to move off Main Street so your customers can come to Main Street and the employees then migrate to somewhere not being used,” he said.

A parking vacancy map that color codes city blocks according to average parking space vacancy rates shows that in July 2021, the peak month for downtown activity, an average of 10% of parking spaces in the 500 and 800 to 1000 blocks of Main Avenue were vacant.

Similarly, the 600 to 800 blocks of East Second Avenue, home to 2nd Deli & Spirits, 2nd Ave Sports, The Rochester hotel, the Durango Arts Center and other establishments, are 10% or less vacant.

Blocks closer to Main Avenue with less frequently occupied parking spaces include the 600 to 900 blocks of Narrow Gauge Avenue.

And that’s just for July 2021. Blocks across the Central Business District averaged higher vacancy rates across the full year, according to another city map representing parking vacancies throughout 2021.

Although the 25 cent rate increases took effect Saturday, the city is also offering free parking on select side streets through the end of August. Free parking is available at 31 meters on Seventh, Eighth and Ninth streets between Narrow Gauge Avenue and Camino del Rio.

cburney@durangoherald.com

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated where free downtown parking is located. Free parking is at 31 meters on Seventh, Eighth and Ninth streets between Narrow Gauge Avenue and Camino del Rio.