Got a hybrid? You can park free if you go to Manitou

If you drive a hybrid car, you’ll no longer have to pay to park in Manitou Springs.

The Colorado Springs suburb is becoming one of just a handful of cities nationwide — including Aspen; Los Angeles; Salt Lake City; San Antonio; Albuquerque; New Haven, Conn.; San Jose; and Santa Monica, Calif. — that offer free parking for hybrid vehicles.

Directors of the city’s Metropolitan Parking District voted Thursday to offer free parking for hybrids in the two city parking lots beginning Monday as a small way to encourage people to buy them, said Rolf Jacobson, who serves as chairman of the district’s board.

“I had heard of other programs around the country and wanted us to do something,” Jacobson said. “Hybrid owners have to pay a lot to buy the vehicle, so we want to do our part to help defray the costs, even if it is just the $3-a-day cost of parking.”

The free-parking offer comes three months after Manitou City Council members voted to inventory the city’s ecological footprint and do what it can to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Manitou also has joined a group of other cities pushing for climate protection.

Offering free parking for hybrids “shows Manitou Springs is serious about climate protection and environmental sustainability,” said

Shannon Solomon, a Manitou City Council member who has helped to push the city’s efforts in reducing greenhousegas emissions.

Steve Laski, a sales manager at Liberty Toyota Scion Superstore, said every incentive for hybrids helps — even though sales of Toyota’s three hybrids, the Prius, Camry and Highlander, are strong.

“There’s a lot of demand for all three models because of the fuel economy, and added benefits like free parking and tax incentives certainly can’t hurt,” Laski said.

The next 10 Priuses headed to Liberty Toyota from the automaker are committed to buyers, he said.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0234 or wayneh@gazette.com. Debbie Kelley contributed to this story.