New parking rules near Sixth Street bus stops begin December 15

County residents can get a free permit for longer parking 

By Mark Reaman 

Crested Butte’s new winter parking regulations on some streets perpendicular to Sixth Street will go into effect Sunday, December 15. 

Two-hour parking limits for some portions of Butte, Teocalli, Maroon and Elk Avenues (see map) will be in place for the winter, but residents in the neighborhood and Gunnison County residents can obtain free vehicle permits that will allow them to park for longer. So, for example, someone living in CB South with a registered vehicle can drive into town and park on Teocalli Ave. by Sixth Street to catch the Mountain Express bus to the ski area for a day of hitting the hill. If you do not have a permit and you park there for more than two hours, you can get a ticket. The cost of a ticket is $50. 

“To ensure the livability of neighborhoods in Town, starting December 15, Crested Butte will require all cars parked for more than two hours on Butte and Teocalli Avenues (between Fifth and Seventh Streets) and Maroon and Elk Avenues (east of the Four-way parking lot to Seventh Street) to be registered for a “Neighborhood & Skier” parking permit,” explained Crested Butte Community Development director Troy Russ. 

Town of Crested Butte “Neighborhood & Skier” parking permits are available to any Gunnison County registered vehicle for free. The town of Crested Butte’s “Neighborhood and Skier Parking Permit” application is online — go to www.parkcrestedbutte.com. Proof of vehicle registration in Gunnison County is required as part of the application along with vehicle details and a license plate number.

Any vehicle registered for a Crested Butte “Neighborhood & Skier” parking permit will be allowed to be parked for more than two hours on Butte and Teocalli Avenues (between Fifth and Seventh Streets) and Maroon and Elk Avenues (east of the Four-way parking lot to Seventh Street). The town’s overnight winter parking rules are always in effect. Also remember that town-owned public parking at the Four-Way Stop area, like the big lot behind the Chamber Visitor’s Center at Sixth and Elk, is open to anyone for longer than two hours and no parking permit is required.

Russ said that the streets will be monitored, and parking enforced by Crested Butte’s parking management provider, Interstate Parking. “Interstate will utilize a license plate reader,” he said. “The permit will not need to be displayed.”

Russ said the permit system will be in place until alternative parking options are available for cars coming into Crested Butte from out of town. “These free permits will be in place until new parking facilities at the Crested Butte Community School and the Brush Creek intersection with Highway 135 can be constructed and served by Mountain Express and the RTA in 2026,” he said.

Once those alternatives are in place, town council may look at the possibility of expanding permit parking throughout more of Crested Butte.

Russ emphasized there are free parking lots without two-hour parking limits, owned by the town along Sixth Street and throughout Crested Butte. “During the winter, town will be collecting parking utilization data, such as how many parking spaces are occupied (by time of day), how long cars are parked on these town streets, and where the cars parked on these streets come from,” he said. “This data will be used to fine-tune the program and determine future permit requirements.”