Starting May 1, parking in downtown Golden will work a little differently for both residents and visitors.
But, city officials hope the changes will make the entire process more convenient and efficient.
Earlier this year, Golden signed a vendor contract with Interstate Parking Company of Colorado to manage all downtown parking spots, enforcement, permits and related operations.
The contract lasts through the end of 2027 but may be renewed or terminated as city officials deem necessary. Staff confirmed Golden can terminate the contract without cause, allowing 90 days for Interstate Parking to withdraw its equipment and personnel.
Under the approved contract, Golden will receive the first $250,000 in annual revenues from paid parking, permits and enforcement. After that, the city and the company will split revenues 50-50.
Meanwhile, Interstate Parking is responsible for all related expenses, such as installing new kiosks, employing parking ambassadors and more.
The company has similar arrangements in Morrison, Idaho Springs and other municipalities west of Denver.
Matt Wempe, Golden’s principal planner, and other city staff members have said contracting with Interstate Parking should bring in similar or more revenues while reducing city expenses and alleviating several problems simultaneously.
One is the city’s outgoing system, which was cobbled together with various technologies that didn’t all work equally well and had difficulty communicating with one another. This included license-plate readers, parking kiosks, a pay-by-phone app and the permit database vendor.
By having everyone use a single system, it should be easier for both users and the city, Wempe said.
While Golden officials hoped the May rollout would go smoothly, they’ve said staff will work with Interstate Parking to address any hiccups that may arise. The city is slated to review the system in July and October, and at least once a year thereafter.
Changes to downtown parking regulations
Along with the new vendor, the city is implementing two major changes to its downtown parking availability.
First, paid parking in downtown Golden is expanding to seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. This will impact all public parking spots and lots downtown, excluding the Clear Creek lot at 311 10th Street. The Clear Creek lot will still be free to park all day, but no overnight parking is allowed.
This will help align downtown’s parking with the 10th Street parking zone and the nearby neighborhoods’ permit parking zones, the city stated in the recent Golden Informer.
The other major change is that the Golden Community Center will have time-limited parking on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This will help ensure parking is available for GCC patrons on weekends, the Golden Informer stated.
Golden Resident Permit holders can park for free in the 10th Street lot for two hours and in the Eighth Street lot for four hours on weekends only. There will be no changes to parking Mondays through Thursdays.
New, current parking permits
Golden and Interstate Parking are offering a free Golden Resident Permit to any city residents, which only requires them to register once a year at ParkGoldenCO.com.
This will allow registered city residents to park in any public lot or spot downtown up to two hours for free. If they wish to stay longer than two hours, they can purchase additional time online or at a kiosk as needed, Wempe said.
ParkGoldenCo.com currently states the Golden Resident Permit will last through Jan. 31, 2025. At that point, users will need to re-register.
Additionally, Wempe confirmed the city’s permit-holders — whether residential or employee — won’t have to re-register with the new vendor. The city’s current vendors have transferred its databases to Interstate Parking, he said, adding that they will need to re-register for 2025 permits starting this fall.
Any new users needing a residential, employee or visitor parking permit can start the application process at ParkGoldenCO.com.
Wempe encouraged all downtown visitors to look at the maps on the website, to see what parking options are available to them and plan their trips accordingly.
If anyone has questions while they’re visiting downtown, Wempe said Interstate Parking will have ambassadors patrolling the area daily. They’ll be easily identifiable with high-visibility vests and can help answer any questions or address concerns about downtown parking, he added.
Overall, once both residents and visitors get used to Interstate Parking’s system, Wempe believed it would be easier and clearer to navigate than Golden’s previous hodgepodge system.
How to sign up for a Golden Resident Permit
- Go to ParkGoldenCO.com, scroll down to “Residential Permits” and click on it.
- On the new page, scroll down to “Golden Resident Permits” and click “Click here to register.”
- On the new page that opens, create an account — if you haven’t done so already — which will require inputting an email address and creating a four-digit PIN. If you’ve already set up an account, hit “Log in.”
- Once you have an account, click “Add new permit” and, on the list, select “Golden Resident Permit.”
- Input your vehicle information and customer information, and then upload a document proving your current residency within Golden city limits. This could be any document stating your name and physical address, such as a photo of a driver’s license, an electronic version of a utility bill or an electronic copy of your lease.
- Once done, hit “Checkout.” You’ll receive a confirmation email for your order, and then Interstate Parking will email you again when your application is accepted.
- To sign up for other types of parking permits, the process will be similar but may require payment.