Village of Wilmette, Illinois | Downtown Parking Study

As part of the parking study, a public survey showed that 75% of respondents were downtown at least once a week. Over the past decade several multi-family residential buildings in the area have also contributed to the thriving village center. The vibrant downtown, along with strong use of the Metra line heading to Chicago has created crowded public parking areas both on-street and off-street. Policy regarding time limits, hours of operation, employee parking, and enforcement were reviewed to identify opportunities to improve access to downtown. Detailed parking occupancy and vehicle turnover counts were conducted with GIS data collection to identify the areas where policy changes could positively impact parking.

Recommendations included increasing access to employee parking permits in prioritized off-street locations, adjusting enforcement hours and frequency, and enhancing signage to guide visitors to their open parking. The policy changes improved visitor access to downtown while improving parking options for those downtown regularly.