Carpoolers Unite! Mountain Rideshare Day

To encourage mountain travelers to carpool, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is hosting its second annual Mountain Rideshare Day on Saturday, Feb. 6, offering carpoolers exclusive discounts and deals at resorts and mountain businesses – Carpoolers unite! More than 30,000 vehicles can pass through the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels on a winter weekend day, with an average of 2.6 passengers in each one. However, if each vehicle filled their empty seats and instead had four occupants, 10,000 fewer cars would travel through the Tunnel each day.

Ski resorts and the Town of Breckenridge are offering exclusive carpooler discounts to support ridesharing as a way to reduce congestion, save money and help the environment. Deals include:

A-Basin is offering a $74 discounted day adult lift ticket for people that carpool with four or more people. They will also hold 30 parking spots in the Early Riser lot for the first carpoolers that arrive. Once the Early Riser spots are taken, additional carpoolers will be parked by parking staff.

• Breckenridge is offering a $5 parking discount for vehicles with four or more people.
• The Town of Breckenridge is offering parking lots for carpoolers at the following locations:
  • F Lot (250 S. Park Avenue) – an officer will be in the lot from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. providing parking vouchers to qualified vehicles.
  • Wellington Lot (200 N. Main St.) – an officer will be in the lot from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. providing parking vouchers to qualified vehicles.
  • Ice Rink Lot (189 Boreas Pass Rd.) – two officers will be in the public parking side of the lot, south of the building, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. providing parking vouchers to qualified vehicles.
• Copper Mountain is offering carpoolers exclusive deals within Dos Equis Après Ski. From 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Storm King Lounge in Copper’s Center Village, carpoolers receive a free drink or a Dos Equis or Copper item.
• Keystone Resort is offering premier parking in the Montezuma lot to vehicles with four or more people.
• Winter Park is offering an adult beverage discount and free KIND granola bars to carpoolers. Additional food and beverage discounts are available to carpoolers wearing Mountain Rideshare Day wristbands.

“We’re happy to be partnering with ski communities to promote ridesharing – a common good for skiers, ski resorts, mountain towns and CDOT,” said CDOT Communications Director Amy Ford. “With all of the great snow we’ve been getting, this weekend could be a major one for mountain travel, so we hope everyone carpools or uses an alternate transportation option for their weekend adventures. We thank Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Winter Park, A-Basin, and Loveland for their support of Mountain Rideshare Day.”

Ridesharing and adventure could be a great combo! However, to make sure you are on the safe side, you may want to consider getting your vehicle rideshare insured from State Farm Car Insurance or similar companies.

To take full advantage of Mountain Rideshare Day, stop by CDOT’s station at the Wooly Mammoth Park-n-Ride Lot just off Interstate 70 and Morrison Road (go west on U.S. 40 a short distance) on Saturday morning to pick up your Mountain Rideshare Day wristband to unlock the deals! You can also get your wristband at participating resorts. While you’re at the Wooly Mammoth Lot, pick up a complementary hot chai donated by Bhakti Chai. Head to winter.codot.gov/rideshare to find out all the details.

Through the I-70 Coalition’s Peak Time Deals program, several Peak Time Businesses will extend discounted good and services to those with Mountain Rideshare Day wristbands on Saturday. Many mountain communities offer Peak Time Deals during peak I-70 travel times year-round. Visit GoI70.com/deals for a list of restaurants, entertainment options, retailers and lodging locations throughout the I-70 Mountain Corridor offering weekend discounts.

Mountain Rideshare Day Peak Time businesses:

Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant – Happy hour deals 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Frisco)

Breckenridge Heritage Alliance – Haunted tour of Breckenridge (Breckenridge)

Ready Paint Fire – No studio fees. Save $10 (Breckenridge)

Peak Sports – $5 quick wax & 20 percent off accessories (Copper Mountain)

Outlets at Silverthorne – Discounts at 50 outlet stores (Silverthorne)

Jenny’s Restaurant – Free appetizer (Empire)

CDOT’s Mountain Rideshare Day is part of the Change Your Peak Drive campaign, which works to improve the I-70 Mountain Corridor by encouraging mountain travelers to change not only the time they drive, but also how they drive. Through public education and strategic partnerships, CDOT works to give motorists the tools they need to be winter ready and know the resources they have for I-70 information. To learn more about Mountain Rideshare Day, visit winter.codot.gov/rideshare.

Get your group together – it’s way more fun then traveling alone!

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