Parking Implementation
After being informed from almost 20 years of downtown parking studies, the City Council is considering implementing paid parking in portions of our downtown. On November 20, 2024, the City Council received implementation recommendations from Walker Consultants. The recommendations are provided as a response to the questions below. Please note that the Council has not made any final decision on these topics. The council will be making decisions on how and when to implement paid parking in 2025, with staff bringing a proposed work plan to council on January 15, 2025. The work plan will include draft dates for council to affirm the policies for implementation to the questions below.
Commonly Asked Questions
How did we get here?
Interested in learning the history of paid parking conversations in the city over the last almost 20 years? Visit the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee webpage that includes an overview of the meetings held by the committee and the reports received between 2006 and 2023.
Where is Paid Parking Proposed to Occur?
- Anderson Parkway – aka, Waterfront parking lot
- Front Street (from Hostmark to before the King Olaf Lot)
- Jensen Street (from Front Street to Iverson Street) (see image below)
Council is also considering Moe Street and 3rd Avenue, as recommended by the consultant.
When Might Paid Parking Occur?
The council has granted the consultant to work on the tasks necessary to implement paid parking. Based on the draft timeline, paid parking could be implemented in mid 2025.
How many days of the week are considered for paid parking?
6 or 7 days of paid parking, with Sunday as a potential grace day.
What is the paid parking system being considered?
Council has expressed an interest in using a mobile pay option.
What hours are being considered?
10 am to 6 pm, providing early morning grace hours.
What will the hourly cost of parking be?
The consultant has recommended starting at $2/hour. The council has not made a final decision on cost/hour.
Where will employees park?
The proposal is to include 42 spaces in King Olaf overflow lot (see image below).
What will the cost of employee parking be?
The proposal is $20/month. Council has not made a final decision on monthly cost.
Will there be enforcement of parking?
The recommendation from Walker is to enforce parking from Hostmark to Front Street to Sunset and portions of 3rd Avenue and 4th, per the hatched purple area in the image below.
Next Steps
Planning will present their work plan for the year to the city council on Wednesday, January 15th. The plan will include milestone dates for council to consider the implementing steps necessary to proceed with parking changes. The majority of the implementing actions are proposed to occur in the first half of 2025.
Contact Information
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