Downtown Parking Study

In June 2023, the City of St. Charles City Council approved a contract to conduct a Downtown Parking Study. The purpose of the study is to provide City Council and staff with insight and data on the current downtown parking environment and recommend initiatives that enhance the parking experience for all downtown visitors. The City has selected Desman, a firm that specializes in parking consulting, design, planning and restoration to assist the City with the study. You can find more information about Desman at www.desman.com. To review an interactive map of the current downtown parking inventory click here.

Upcoming Dates

First Open House Public Meeting - COMPLETED
The consutant and the City conducted a open house meeting on Monday, August 14 at 4:00PM - 6:30PM at City Hall, City Council Chambers. 

Upcoming Open House
This will be the second opportunity for members of the public to provide feedback on the downtown parking experience. The meeting will be open-house style, thus those interested in attending can show up at any time during the meeting. The consultant team and City staff will be in attendance to discuss downtown parking challenges and potential solutions. There will also be an opportunity to leave written notes.

DATE: Wednesday, September 6
TIME: 4 - 6:00PM
LOCATION: St. Charles City Hall - City Council Chamber (2 East Main Street, St. Charles IL, 60174

Online Public Survey
The online public survey is now available. The survey can be completed in 10-15 minutes, however, may take longer depending on the length of responses. Click the following link to take the survey: Downtown Parking Public Survey

The Study Process
The study will be broken down into three phases. 

Phase I. Project Coordination and Research: The phase includes evaluation of existing data, assessment of exisiting conditions, and peak occupancy surveys. This phase also includes a community engagement program which will include an online community survey, downtown business survey, stakeholder focus group meetings, and an open-house style community meeting. Following the completion of the Phase I tasks, Desman will prepare a deliverable which presents the data gathered during this phase and our methodology for collecting that data, along with maps and other graphics which clearly illustrate the existing parking conditions within the study area.

Phase II. Parking Demand Assessment and Scenario Planning: Based on the information learned in Phase I, Desman will begin assessing the downtown parking environment. The assessment includes determining the impacts of future development projects, identificfication of future parking surplus/deficit conditions, and management of parking demand. Following the completion of the Phase II tasks, Desman will prepare a deliverable which presents the future parking demand analysis and parking alternatives. The deliverable will include maps and other graphics to illustrate the anticipated future parking conditions within the City of St. Charles under each of the identified scenarios.

Phase III. Strategic Implementation Plan: The objective of Phase III is to develop a strategic implementation plan which outlines specific actions that can serve as an economic development and sustainability tool for downtown development. There is a wide range of potential recommendations—from physical solutions, technology upgrades, code, and policy changes. Based on the preceding analyses, DESMAN will prepare a series of proposed initiatives to address each issue identified. A draft of the Implementation Plan will be presented to City Council Committee prior to adoption. 

Study Area

The Study Area for the Parking Study is generally considered to be Downtown SSA-1A, the thin blue line is the SSA boundary. See map below.