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Brighton Resort changes parking policy to promote carpooling

(Steve Griffin | Salt Lake Tribune file photo) Skiers and snowboarders head up the hill to the lifts at Brighton ski area Jan. 1, 2018. Starting Wednesday, the Big Cottonwood resort will allow only skiers who carpool to park at its lot, pictured in background, on holiday, weekend and powder days. Cars with one or two occupants will have to park at the Brighton Store.

  | Dec. 24, 2019, 7:14 p.m.
| Updated: Jan. 17, 2020, 6:53 p.m.

Unless you have three people in your car, don’t expect princess parking at Brighton Resort on weekends or powder days.

Following a lead set by a neighboring Big Cottonwood Canyon resort, Brighton announced a new parking policy, which went into effect on Dec. 25, that encourages its skiers to ride-share or take the bus by penalizing those who who drive without carpooling.

To help cut down on canyon traffic congestion, Solitude now charges its noncarpooling guests $20 to park, or $10 if the car has three occupants, $5 for four or more occupants.

[Read more: To get to Alta and Snowbird, Utah transport officials take a look at aerial transit]

“Weekends, holidays and powder days parking can be limited,” Brighton said in a Facebook post in front of the busy Christmas holiday period. “On these demanding days, we have implemented our main lot as a carpool priority lot.”

Drivers with no or one passenger must park at the Brighton Store, where the loop road starts at the head of the canyon. A shuttle service will ferry these skiers to the lifts.

"When the store lot is full, guests will be turned around and asked to park along the road down the canyon or to return to the base [of the canyon] and take public transportation to the resort."

Season pass holders at both Brighton and Solitude may ride the Utah Transit Authority’s canyon bus routes for free.