Here’s an insider parking tip: you can save time, gas, and emissions by going straight to one of the city’s five convenient downtown garages.

Downtown Boulder Garages are Gateless!

After 46 years of service, we have retired the downtown parking garage gates and taken a leap forward in technology and innovation.

On Oct. 1, 2023, the City of Boulder downtown garages rolled out a fully gateless system which allows seamless entry and exit without waiting in line. Once you've registered with Metropolis the first time, you'll never need to stop to pay. Simply drive in and drive out to start and end your parking session. Any payment due is automatically charged and you will receive a text receipt. Register at app.metropolis.io.

Welcome to remarkably simple parking. Metropolis gateless parking system drive in and drive out.

Boulder partnered with Metropolis to introduce gateless, contactless payment parking to the five City of Boulder downtown garages. You just drive in and drive out: Metropolis handles the rest. No more gates, long lines, or reaching for a ticket machine ever again.

These are still public parking garages owned by the City.

Add your license plate number and credit card for contactless payment. When you visit a City of Boulder downtown garage powered by Metropolis, just drive in and drive out. Register for touch-free payment with Metropolis.

While you do need a cell phone that can receive texts to register for the Metropolis platform, you only have to register once, and then you'll be set. Once you register on your cell phone or from home on any web-enabled device at app.metropolis.io, you can drive in and out of the City of Boulder’s downtown BoulderPark garages and the system will automatically charge your account any amount due. This means you do not need to carry a smart phone with you as long as you have pre-registered. If you do not have a smart phone available on your first visit and you have not pre-registered, you will have 24 hours to register before being subject to a fine. If you have questions about how to register, you can also call the Metropolis help phone number, available 24 hours a day/7 days a week, at 856-485-9703. This number will be posted on all the pay to park signage throughout the garages.

Metropolis is active at the following locations:

  • 11th and Spruce
  • 15th and Pearl
  • 10th and Walnut (St. Julien Hotel)
  • 14th and Walnut (RTD Bus Station)
  • 11th and Walnut (Randolph Center)

Once you’ve registered for an account, you will be able to drive in and out of them all.

No, you do not have to register your vehicle with Metropolis to receive free parking in City of Boulder garages on the weekend. However, we do strongly encourage you to create an account to ensure that you’ll be set to park in our garages when visiting downtown on a weekday. After you register once, you will not need to create an account again.

Please note that there are other garages downtown that use Metropolis and are not owned by the City of Boulder. These garages have different citation fees and processes. To find City of Boulder garages, please use our interactive parking map.

You can update all your personal information, including your vehicle license plate and card on file, by logging into your account at app.metropolis.io. From there, you will see three lines in the top left corner indicating a drop-down menu. Click on the menu to view options for updating your information.


To pay your parking citation, please visit payments.metropolis.io and enter your citation number or license plate number into the “Pay my Parking Ticket” prompt. Once the violation number or license plate number have been entered, the violation associated will generate on the next page. The violation will allow for a view of the violation details, location and images of the vehicle. In order to pay the violation, please enter your credit card information into the “Payment Method” prompt and then click “pay violation.”

If this is your first Metropolis citation in a City of Boulder garage, the violation fee can be waived. To waive your first-time violation, visit payments.metropolis.io and enter your violation number or license plate number into the “Pay my Parking Ticket” prompt. Once your violation has populated, refer to the prompt at the bottom of the page “How to file a dispute.” Click the link provided and on the following page, complete the required fields to dispute the violation. Once finished, please click submit and the dispute will be generated and sent to our customer support team. Please note that you will still be required to pay a $5.25 processing fee plus the cost of your parking session.

If additional support is needed, please contact payments@metropolis.io.

Active permits will be transitioned to the new Metropolis platform. Once you have completed the required registration steps, your permit will be valid for the designated garage. You will be able to drive in and out of all garages, but you will be charged at non-permitted garages.

After registering for a Metropolis Account, you’ll be sent a QR code that will validate your visit. Scan the code after arriving at the facility and before departing for an easy drive-out experience. ​​​​​​Please contact Denver-area@metropolis.io to purchase a 20 Day Pass.

No problem! If you’re visiting for a short time and do not wish to use one of your prepaid days, simply drive out of the garage to pay the hourly rate

Reach out to Denver-area@metropolis.io to transfer your current Cash Pass over to the new system. Please note that Cash Passes are no longer available for purchase as of Jan. 1, 2024. Remaining funds on the pass can still be used after Jan. 1, but no additional funds can be added.

Interactive Parking Map

Explore public parking options in an interactive map. City parking garages are highlighted in yellow, while surface lots are purple. Click on any area to see what the current hours are rates are. View a full size map.

ParkBoulder Visitor Map

Fees & Rates

Parking Fees*

HourRate
1st hour$1.75
2nd-6th hour$1.25/hr
6-12 hours$15.99
3 p.m. to 3 a.m. **$3.00
Weekends & City Holidays***FREE
  • *Rates are inclusive of fees
  • **$3 flat rate only applies if you enter and exit between 3 p.m. and 3 a.m.
  • ***3183 Pearl St. (Depot Square Boulder Junction) garage enforces paid parking seven days a week, including Saturdays, Sundays and city holidays. Rates are $1.25 per hour with a $25 maximum for a 24-hour period. Pay for parking at kiosks located throughout the garage.
  • If you park longer than 12 hours the rate structure starts over.
  • Saturdays, Sundays and city holidays are free in City of Boulder downtown garages.

Permit Parking Rates

Downtown garage permits can be purchased through Metropolis.

  • BoulderPark garages powered by Metropolis: $165/month. Please note that beginning July 1, 2025, rates will increase to $170/month.

Please Note

  • For pressing parking concerns, please call non-emergency Police Dispatch at 303-441-3333 or Report an Illegally Parked Vehicle. ​
  • No storage of vehicles over 72 hours.
  • Failure to pay will result in a citation.

Garage Locations & Space Counts

GARAGE/LOCATION# OF SPACESHeight LimiTNOTES
11th and Walnut (in the Randolph Center)2606’9’’Has electric vehicle (EV) chargers (Visit EV charging stations webpage for more information)
11th and Spruce3901st, 2nd and 3rd floors - 7'

Basement and 4th floors - 6’8’’		Has EV chargers
15th and Pearl (Parking Services)6867’2’’Has EV chargers
10th and Walnut (St. Julien Hotel)556Level G1 - 7' and Level G2 - 6’8’’Has EV chargers
14th and Walnut* (next to RTD Bus Station)3027'Has EV chargers
2240 Broadway (Trinity Garage)54 7'Permit parking only
3183 Pearl St (Depot Square - Boulder Junction) Hourly parking only. Paid parking is enforced seven days a week, including Saturdays, Sundays and city holidays.

How to Pay Your Garage Parking Citation

Step 1

A citation letter with the Metropolis logo will be sent to your address in the mail.

To pay your parking citation, please visit payments.metropolis.io and enter your citation number or license plate number into the “Pay my Parking Ticket” prompt.

If this is your first Metropolis citation in a City of Boulder parking garage, the violation fee can be waived. To waive your first-time citation, please follow the steps in "Appeal a Parking Garage Ticket." Please note that you will still be required to pay a $5.25 processing fee plus the cost of your parking session. If this is not your first Metropolis citation in a City of Boulder garage, you will be required to pay the full violation.

If you would prefer to pay for your parking citation via check, please mail it to:

Metropolis
PO BOX 4577
Carol Stream, IL 60197

Step 2

Once the violation number or license plate number have been entered, the violation associated will generate on the next page.

Step 3

The violation will allow for a view of the violation details, location, and images of the vehicle.

Step 4

In order to pay the violation, please enter your credit card information into the “Payment Method” prompt and then click “pay violation.”

Step 5

Once the payment is processed, an option for a receipt will be available on the next screen.

If additional support is needed, please contact payments@metropolis.io

How to Dispute Garage Citations

Step 1

If you feel like your violation was sent to you in error, please visit payments.metropolis.io to dispute your violation. If this is your first Metropolis citation in a City of Boulder garage, the violation fee can be waived. To waive your first-time violation, visit payments.metropolis.io and follow the steps below to dispute the charge. Please note that you will need to create an account with Metropolis to waive your citation fee.

Step 2

Enter your violation number or license plate number into the “Pay my Parking Ticket” prompt.

Step 3

Once your violation has populated, refer to the prompt at the bottom of the page “How to file a dispute.”

Step 4

Click the link provided and on the following page, complete the required fields to dispute the violation. If you are waiving your first-time citation, please select a dispute reason and provide an explanation in the description box.

Step 5

Once finished, please click submit and the dispute will be generated and sent to our customer support team.

How to Purchase a Garage Permit

Check your eligibility

Garage permits allow long-term parking for downtown employees, paid monthly, at an assigned location. There are 6 downtown garages. Permits are only available for employees working within the boundaries of the Central Area General Improvement District (CAGID).

Purchase, refill, renew

  1. Downtown Garages

    Downtown garage permits can be purchased through Metropolis. To purchase a permit for the 15th and Pearl, 10th and Walnut (St. Julien), 11th and Walnut (Randolph), 11th and Spruce, or 14th and Walnut (RTD) garages, you can register with Metropolis and then look for 'subscriptions'.

  2. Trinity Garage

    To purchase a permit for the Trinity garage please fill out this application.

Accessible Parking

Reserved accessible parking is provided in designated downtown parking structures. These spaces are signed and marked, limiting use to vehicles displaying a valid disabled placard/license plate.

Note: The fine for parking in a reserved accessible space without a valid handicap placard/license plate is $112.

Van Access

GARAGE/LOCATIONHEIGHT LIMITRESERVED SPACES

11th & Walnut

(Randolph Center)

6'9"7
11th & Spruce

1st, 2nd & 3rd floor: 7'

Basement & 4th floor: 6'8"

10

15th & Pearl

(Parking Services)

7'2"16
10th & WalnutLevel G1 - 7' and Level G2 - 6’8’’17
14th & Walnut (RTD)7'8

Resources

Related Services