Season parking passes will be ready for purchase beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28 on the lower level of the Municipal Building, 75 S. Frontage Road, with an added incentive for those who make their purchase early. The first 500 buyers will receive a voucher good for a free day of parking to be redeemed any time during the season, a value of $30. The free voucher is good for individual customers and is being offered for the third season to help reduce last-minute crowding. The offer does not apply to bulk purchases.  

Paid parking in the Vail Village and Lionshead parking structures will coincide with the start of Vail Mountain’s 2019-2020 ski and snowboard season which is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 15.  

Vail’s winter parking pass rates and related policies were adopted by the Town Council at its Oct. 1 meeting after reviewing recommendations from its citizen-based Parking & Transportation Task Force. This includes continuation of two-hour free parking, no price increases for season pass discounts or hourly parking, and the return of an employee pass option for access to the Red Sandstone parking garage. 

Also returning this season will be free parking in the structures upon entry after 3 p.m. This program was introduced in 1996 to encourage après ski vibrancy and has become popular with guests and residents. 

There will be six discount season parking passes available this winter, plus an incremental rate structure for value cards. Rates are unchanged from the previous season. The town’s parking pass sales office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the winter. Descriptions of the available parking passes and qualifications are as follows:

2019-2020 Discount Season Parking Passes

• Pink Pass, $200. For employees of eligible Vail business license holders, good for parking at gated lots at Ford Park and soccer field, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Available to Vail Village or Lionshead-based Vail business license holders’ employees working a minimum of 30 hours per week. Proof of employment is required. Parking spaces are serviced by the existing transportation system. Note: Ford Park lot will be closed Dec. 12-15 for Snow Days, plus April 9-12 for Spring Back to Vail and April 16-19 for Powabunga. All lots may also be restricted for other events during the season. The soccer field parking lot will be closed Feb. 13 through March 8 to accommodate staging needs for Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships. Use outlying free lots during closures.
• Red Pass, $450. For employees of eligible Vail business license holders, good for parking in the Red Sandstone garage 7 days a week. Also good for access to Ford Park and soccer field lots from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Available to Vail Village or Lionshead-based Vail business license holders’ employees working a minimum of 30 hours per week. Proof of employment is required. Parking spaces are serviced by the existing transportation system. See pink pass description for parking restrictions at Ford Park and soccer field.
• Green Pass, $625. For employees of eligible Vail business license holders, good for parking in the Lionshead structure Monday through Thursday with the exception of the restricted days of Dec. 20-Jan. 5; Jan. 20 and Feb. 17. Also good for access to Red Sandstone parking garage, Ford Park and soccer field lots from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Available to Vail Village or Lionshead-based Vail business license holders’ employees working a minimum of 30 hours per week. Proof of employment is required. See pink pass description for parking restrictions at Ford Park and soccer field.
• Blue Pass, $1,250. For Vail property owners, residents and employees of qualifying Vail business license holders, good for parking in the two structures with restrictions. Good 7 days a week at Lionshead structure and Monday through Thursday at Vail Village structure with the exception of the restricted days of Dec. 20-Jan. 5; Jan. 20 and Feb. 17. Available to Vail Village or Lionshead-based Vail business license holders’ employees working a minimum of 30 hours per week. Proof of employment is required. Proof of residency or proof of property ownership is needed for residents or property owners.
• Silver Pass, $2,000. Available to qualifying business license holders in Vail Village and Lionshead with guaranteed parking in one structure. Limit one pass per business. This pass must be purchased using the credit card or checking account of the business.
• Gold Pass, $3,300. For guaranteed parking in the two structures. No eligibility requirements.
• Vanpool Pass. Any employee vanpool (vans with seven or more passengers) registered with the town can get either a $200 Pink Pass or receive discounted guaranteed space. Call 970-479-2349 for details.

2019-2020 Hourly Parking Rates
Hourly parking rates approved by the Town Council for the Vail Village and Lionshead parking structures are as follows:

The incremental rate structure for value card holders calculates the locals discount based on a percentage of the hourly drive-up rate. Qualifying Vail and Eagle County card holders receive 50 percent and 40 percent discounts, respectively, during non-peak, and 20 percent and 12 percent discounts, respectively, during peak. The peak periods include Dec. 20-Jan. 5; Jan. 20 and Feb. 17, plus all Fridays and Saturdays. The pricing schedule is as follows:

Vail Value Card Rates

Good for employees of qualifying Vail business license holders working a minimum of 30 hours per week, Vail residents and Vail property owners.

2019-2020 Eagle County Value Card Rates

Good for employees of qualifying Eagle County businesses, residents and property owners.

coincide with the start of paid parking, Vail Transit will be increasing bus service on the Ford Park, Lionsridge Loop and West Vail Express routes beginning Nov. 5 prior to implementation of the full winter schedule in December.

As an additional option, the town offers free parking in satellite areas serviced by the town’s free transit system. The inventory includes the following locations available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.: Gore Creek Trailhead, East Vail Interchange Trailhead, Pitkin Creek Trailhead, Booth Falls Trailhead, Spraddle Creek Trailhead, Red Sandstone Creek Trailhead, Buffehr Creek Trailhead, Davos Trailhead and Red Sandstone Park. Parking availability is limited and some spaces are restricted to three-hour trailhead use.

Free parking will also be available at Donovan Park with 90 spaces on days when the pavilion isn’t in use. A sign will be used at the park’s entrance to indicate availability each day. Parking availability for Donovan Park will be updated regularly on vaileventparking.com.

In addition, first-come, first-served free parking, 50 spaces, will be available on the North Frontage Road across from the West Vail Mall as well as an additional 80 spaces on the North Frontage Road west of the West Vail roundabout. All 130 spaces will be available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Free emergency parking along the South Frontage Road will again be activated in overflow parking situations this season. Easily identified bus stops will be in use along the Frontage Road for added convenience. Real-time parking structure counts for the structures are available at vailparkingcounts.com or download the free Vail app

Visit the town’s website at vailgov.com/parking or call the parking pass sales office at 970-479-2104 for additional information.