We support City Council President Walter Magill’s proposal to create an estimated 100 new remote parking spots by paving the dirt parking at Romick Rodeo Arena. But even though we admire Magill’s consistent efforts through the years to address our downtown parking problem, we don’t buy the logic that 100 new spaces at the rodeo grounds would put off the need to impose paid parking on the downtown commercial district.

We see paid parking as an inevitability and expect traffic congestion to ease within weeks of installing such as system.

We also believe that, instead of beautifying the current entrance to the rodeo grounds, as the council president has suggested, the city should move the entrance to a new location that won’t cause cars headed for events at Howelsen Hill to back up at the railroad crossing. If city officials don’t believe that’s a problem, they can ask their own community service officers and the Howelsen Hill maintenance staff.

Read more at Steamboat Today.