Heavenly hosting open house to discuss its reservations-based paid parking plan

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Heavenly Mountain Resort is hosting an open house event to discuss its reservations-based paid parking plan on Wednesday, August 2, from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the California Main Lodge.

This will be a great opportunity for the public to stop by, learn more about the program, and ask questions about it.

"We are excited to see this plan in action and genuinely believe it will make a difference when it comes to road congestion in our community on peak days," said Tom Fortune, VP & COO of Heavenly and Vail's Tahoe Region resorts.

The following is from Fortune's Friday blog:

I also want to touch on our new reservations-based paid parking plan at California Base Area that we announced back in March. At that time, we shared some high-level details about what to expect, and just over a month ago, we posted an FAQ on our website that has a ton of great information and details about what to expect heading into the 23/24 ski and ride season – we've also updated it a few times since then, too (and will continue doing so as needed). As a reminder, the reservation system will be enforced at the California Base Area until noon on Saturdays and Sundays and peak holiday periods from the beginning of the season. However, as we begin this program, we will be doing some test-and-learn work and do not plan to charge for parking on weekends and holidays until mid-December. We are also encouraging and incentivizing carpooling and if you have 4+ passengers in your vehicle, you park for free (but still need a reservation at designated times). It’s important to note that revenue received from paid parking will go back to the resort to support operations and the transit program. You can find the link to the FAQ here, and I want to share a few of our FAQs directly related to what we aim to accomplish.

Q: Why are you making this change and why now?

A: Traffic/road congestion and parking challenges have been a serious topic of conversation within our community for a while, and this past winter has perhaps been the most challenging yet. After taking a deep dive into our current parking practices and traffic patterns, learning from other resorts across our network, and much consideration and conversation here in-resort, we believe that a reservations-based parking program on weekends and peak periods at the California Base Area can, and will, make a difference.

Importantly, we have many choices for guests related to parking, including plenty of free parking options.

Q: What hours of the day will reservation/paid parking be enforced during peak periods at the California Base Area lot?

A: At our California Base Area lot, reservations will be required and there will be a fee for vehicles with 3 or fewer occupants before 12 p.m. on weekends and peak periods. If you have 4+ people in a vehicle, you still need a reservation but there will be no fee to park during these times at the California Base Area. After 12 p.m. on peak period days, parking will be free, and no reservations are required.

Q: If reservations-based parking is so effective, why not transition all lots to this model?

A: We know that locating free lots outside of the main base area will reduce congestion by keeping cars from the busiest areas. To that end, we don’t see an immediate need to put this system in place universally, and we do want to continue to provide free parking options on weekends and peak periods. We are always watching traffic patterns and evaluating our approach and will make changes to our parking plan as needed in the future.

Q: What is the cost of paid parking during peak periods?

A: At the California Base Area, parking during peak periods will cost $20 for 3 or fewer people. For 4+, it will be free. Revenue received from paid reservations will go back to the resort to support operations and our transit program.

Boulder Base Area and Stagecoach Base Area parking will remain free every day, including on weekdays, weekends, and peak periods.

Q: Where will revenue from paid parking go?

A: Our objective is to create a routine amongst our guests that encourages carpooling. We continually assess needs for reinvestment in parking and transportation efficiency and experience and revenue from paid parking will be prioritized accordingly.