The headline for this article sounds like a fairy tale, right? I am here to tell you that it is not, there are good parking options downtown, even in the busy summer months.
For locals who want to come downtown for a meal, shopping or for services, here are some tips. If you need to be in downtown from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, the parking meters are a good option. The prime spaces on Main cost $1.50 per hour, but there are also spaces off Main Avenue that cost $1.25, $1, 75 cents and even 50 cents an hour. All parking meters accept credit cards and coins. Be sure to look at the band on the meter that tells you the maximum amount of time that meter accepts. Most are three hours, but there are 10-hour meters on the edges of downtown for a longer visit. There are a few 30-minute meters to allow for quick trips. Start your search for a parking space on East Second Avenue or on Narrow Gauge Avenue.
Another option is to park at the Transit Center by purchasing an all-day parking pass for just $5. There are always spaces available in the Transit Center lot during the workweek.
For evening parking during the week, you can park at any parking meter free after 6 p.m. Look on East Second Avenue and Narrow Gauge Avenue first. You can also park for free after 5 p.m. at the Transit Center lot, or in the three city parking lots on East Second Avenue. All meters and all city parking lots are also free all day on weekends. The Transit Center lot is my go-to location for easy parking on evenings and weekends.
For visitors, a good option is the $5 all-day parking pass at the Transit Center. This lot is the best option for anyone with an oversized vehicle. Find two end-to-end spaces, pay $5 per space inside the Transit Center, and you can park there all day during the week.
What about motorcycle parking? There are four locations for motorcycle-only parking. These are located in the 900, 1000 and 1100 blocks of Main Avenue, and on W. Ninth Street. Multiple motorcycles can park in a metered parking space, but the meter just needs to be paid once.
Accessible parking is also available downtown. There are 13 ADA parking spaces on the west side of Main Avenue and on the cross streets. There is also ADA parking at the Transit Center, and in the three city parking lots on East Second Avenue. Look at the signs for any time limits for a space. ADA parking is also available at any metered parking space for free, you do not have to pay the meter but are asked to obey the time limit on the meter for that space. ADA parkers must have properly displayed placards or plates.
Visit DowntownDurango.org/parking for more information. Use that site and the information above to find parking easily.
Tim Walsworth is executive director of Durango Business Improvement District. Reach him at timw@downtowndurango.org or 375-5068.
