Denver has struck a deal with SpotHero to offer $5 parking in the city’s downtown core, according to an announcement Sunday, June 29. The partnership pairs the city directly with the Chicago-based parking app — one of the larger players in the reserved-spot market — to bring discounted rates to drivers heading into the central business district.
Details on which garages or lots are included, and how long the $5 rate will be available, weren’t immediately clear. The city hasn’t released a list of participating locations or said whether the discount applies around the clock or only during specific hours.
SpotHero operates by letting drivers book and prepay for parking through its app, typically pulling inventory from privately managed garages and municipal lots. Whether Denver’s public parking facilities are part of the arrangement — or only private operators who list on the platform — also hasn’t been spelled out.
The announcement comes as downtown Denver has faced persistent questions about foot traffic and accessibility since the pandemic. City leaders have pushed various initiatives to draw workers and visitors back to the core, and cheaper parking has been a recurring ask from business groups along the 16th Street Mall corridor and surrounding blocks.
How the $5 rate is structured — whether the city is subsidizing the difference or SpotHero is absorbing it — hasn’t been disclosed.
