The Parking Department, City of Denver, provided the following information to the Rocky Mountain Guides Association April, 2013. Rocky Mountain Guides Association appreciates the cooperation of Robert Ferrin, Parking and Planning Administrator, in making this information available. It is important to be aware of the following:


  • All loading zone locations and restrictions are subject to change at any time without notice.


  • Coaches must be in the act of loading / unloading at these locations (no staging allowed)


  • These loading  zones, along with all passenger loading zones are available to all vehicles choosing to load or unload passengers


Zones which will accommodate full size coaches (45 feet in length)


1. Convention Center

  • Passenger loading located on the right side (Convention Center side) of 14th Street just past California and before Welton Street.


  • Loading zones on Stout and under the Convention Center deck. Please coordinate with James Wolfe, primary contact for bus parking/loading/unloading/taxi in and around the Convention Center building. 303.228.8116 or jwolfe@denverconvention.com


 2. Union Station

  • A five minute loading zone is located on Wynkoop Street immediately southwest of the 17th Street intersection. There is another Passenger Loading Zone between 17th and 18th Streets on Wynkoop. Crawford Hotel employees are often stationed at the first portion of this zone offering valet parking. It should not be interpreted that this zone is exclusively for use by the hotel. See city guidelines at the top of page.


  • Passenger loading is also available on Wewatta Street beyond the train canopy and Wewatta Pavilion entrance to the RTD bus concourse. There are extended passenger loading zones on both sides of the street. This is the first street behind Union Station.


3.  Lawrence Street

  • Bus/Limo loading located in front of the Westin Tabor Center on right side of street, just before 17th Street.


4.  California Street

  • 15 minute loading located on right side of California Street about half way down the block between 16th and 15th Streets.


Glenarm Street

  • On the northwest side of the street between 16th and 15th Streets at the Denver Pavilions. This is a general loading zone often occupied by delivery trucks on weekdays.


Larimer Street

  • Passenger Loading Zone on the northwest side of the street just after crossing 15th Street. There are often valets stationed there offering parking service. This zone is available for all passenger loading/unloading. See city guidelines at the top of the page.


7.  Tremont Street

  • Right side just short of 17th Street by the Holiday Inn Express,across the street from the Brown Palace.


8. Grant Street

  • Immediately south of Colfax Avenue at the northeast corner of the State Capitol.


9. 14th Avenue

  • Midway between Bannock and Broadway next to the Denver Art Museum, across the street from the Greek Amphitheater at Civic Center Park.


Motor Coach Staging or Standing*
The Parking Department, City of Denver, provided the following information to the Rocky Mountain Guides Association April, 2013 regarding coach staging (waiting area):

Broadway between Colfax & 14th Avenue:  The block (both sides) is available for staging for all coaches/buses on a first come-first served basis.

* City officials are resistant to referring to the use of this area as parking. However, it is obvious to the most casual observer that school buses occupy this space for extended lengths of time while passengers are visiting attractions, touring, shopping and dining downtown.   Right of Way Enforcement (ROWE) has communicated to us through Robert Ferrin that "all buses" are welcome to use this area. This was in response to a question concerning whether commercial coaches may use this space in the same manner as school buses. In addition we note that the websites for the U. S. Mint, Molly Brown House, and History Colorado specifically identify this area as a parking location for coaches or buses transporting visitors to these venues.

4-43: Idling Restriction  (City of Denver)

(a) No person shall allow a vehicle to idle for more than five (5) minutes in any one-hour period unless:

        (1) The ambient outside air temperature has been less than twenty (20) degrees Fahrenheit for each hour of the previous twenty-four (24) hour period; or

        (2) The latest hourly ambient outside air temperature is less than ten (10) degrees Fahrenheit.

(b) The idling restriction in subsection (a) shall not apply to emergency vehicles; to vehicles engaged in traffic control operations; to vehicles which are being serviced; to vehicles that must idle to operate auxiliary equipment, including but not limited to pumps, compressors or refrigeration units; or to vehicles en route to a destination that are stopped by traffic congestion.

(c) The idling restriction in subsection (a) applies to transportation vehicles, as defined in this subsection, except that the time during which transportation vehicles are actively loading or discharging passengers may not be included in the computation of the five (5) minutes provided for in subsection 4-43(a). A transportation vehicle shall be defined for purposes of this section to mean motor vehicles designed to transport a minimum of sixteen (16) persons.

This page updated 7/15/16

Passenger Loading Zones

Denver Central Business District