Increased 2-hour parking enforcement? This could be the case for downtown Basalt

Basalt will enforce a new two-hour parking limit on 119 spots on Midland Avenue and Two Rivers Road in the heart of its downtown. 

Residents and visitors may have noticed posted two-hour parking signs in some of these spots in the past. Previous conversations with various stakeholders in Basalt resulted in those two-hour limits not being enforced. 

In April, Basalt Town Council will be updating the code to allow them to begin enforcement in June. This enforcement will be accompanied by signage changes at the two-hour designated spots. 

“The underlying goal here is not only to revitalize our downtown but to create energy in the downtown. So with that, ideally, comes more folks,” Town Manager Ryan Mahoney said. 

According to Mahoney, these parking changes should ensure easier parking availability downtown for visitors and residents who may want to buy food or products from local businesses. 

Laura Main, the owner of Tempranillo in Basalt, was encouraged to hear that Basalt is going to enforce the two-hour parking measure.

“As a business owner, parking is the number one priority, and it’s really hard to operate a business to service customers when they have trouble accessing because they’ll just go elsewhere,” Main said. 

Not all spots will be turning into two-hour parking. Two-hundred-twenty-five spots in the downtown area will be designated as 24-hour parking. 

When visitors come to Basalt and find parking at capacity, they will be able to park their vehicles at Basalt Elementary School. This option will not have a two-hour limit but will only be available in the summer months when the elementary school is not in session. 

From this school, visitors will be able to walk two-minutes on the Swinging Bridge Trail into downtown. The trail was recently refreshed and relit to ensure the walk into town is comfortable and safe.

Tickets will likely remain at the current penalty of $60.