Transportation & Parking
Contact: Vail Transit, 970-479-2178
TRANSIT INFORMATION
The Town of Vail Transit Department provides free year-round bus service throughout Vail. In fact, the town's bus service is considered to be the largest free transportation system in the country offering its residents and guests timely service to and from Vail Mountain and throughout town.
Vail also provides real-time arrival information to passengers within the Vail Village, LionsHead and Golden Peak corridor. The real-time information is provided by NextBus Information Systems, which uses Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology to track buses while en route and then transmits the information to the Internet and digital bus signs. Vail is one of the only ski towns in North America to offer its passengers this technology.
Additionally, regional bus service with modest fares is provided daily by ECO Transit with service to Vail, Leadville, Minturn, Eagle-Vail, Avon, Beaver Creek, Edwards, Eagle, Gypsum and Dotsero.
SUMMER 2009 PARKING INFORMATION
For the summer of 2009, the public works department will once again implement actions taken last summer regarding parking management at the Village Parking Structure. This entails managing entry into the structures to a limited number of users during the early stages of the morning. This in turn allows space availability later in the day.
The schedule is as follows:
6 a.m. - 7 a.m., 100 entries
7 a.m. - 8 a.m., 100 entries
8 a.m. - 10 a.m., 200 entries
In addition, the top deck of the Village Parking Structure will be blocked off until 10:00 a.m. The town will work with various businesses that need to provide access to employees or customers in the early hours to accommodate entry. The town will also provide additional bus service from 6:30 a.m. - 8 a.m., Monday through Friday to augment the Wendy's lot and provide 15 minute in town service in the early morning hours. The Lionshead Structure will be monitored to determine if restrictions need to be implemented there as well.
Beginning June 15, an additional 180-space temporary lot at Golden Peak will be available for contractor parking, courtesy of Vail Resorts.
MANAGED PARKING AT FORD PARK SUMMER 2009
Ford Park visitors will again have the option of paying a $5 fee for close-in parking on approximately 39 peak days this summer. Close-in parking begins June 16 to coincide with the first free Budweiser Hot Summer Nights concert of the season. The special event parking program was introduced 12 years ago to alleviate traffic congestion, improve pedestrian safety and increase access options during multiple events at the park.
A parking attendant will be on-site beginning at 7 a.m. every peak day morning and will request that vehicles looking for all-day parking not related to Ford Park activities use the Vail Village or LionsHead parking structure. Close-in parking will be offered for events such as the Hot Summer Nights concert series, Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, Vail International Dance Festival and the Vail Lacrosse Tournament. Fees will be collected from either 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or 4 to 8 p.m., depending on the day’s event schedule.
WINTER 2008-09 PARKING INFORMATION
Vail offers a variety of parking options, from short-term shopper parking to all-day skier parking to season parking passes. The daily rates for close-in structured parking in Vail Village and LionsHead are:
- 0 to 1.5 hours free
- 1.5 to 2 hours for $10
- 2 to 3 hours for $15
- 3 to 4 hours for $20
- 4 to 24 hours for $25
- Arrive after 3 p.m. for free parking in both structures until 3 a.m.*
* Arrivals from 1:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. will be charged $10.00
Rates for short-term pay and display parking on the top deck of the Vail Village parking structure and level 2 of the LionsHead structure are $10 for up to 2.5 hours of parking and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Any remaining metered spaces would match the $25 all day rate. Call (970) 479-2104 for additional information.
The town's transportation and parking divisions are part of the Public Works Department. The division employs 32 full-time employees with 43 seasonal employees.
