Consultant urges 'parking reset' for downtown Eau Claire: paid on-street pricing, parking department and benefits district recommended

City officials and a consultant on Monday presented a draft downtown parking study that recommends a broad “parking reset” including on‑street paid pricing, a consolidated parking leadership role, and a parking benefits district to keep parking revenue in the downtown system.

Deputy City Manager David Solberg introduced consultant John Forster, who said the city’s current pricing sends customers to free visible on‑street spaces while under‑utilizing paid off‑street ramps. “What your pricing strategy has kind of led you to is people feeling there’s a parking problem even when there are unused ramp spaces,” Forster told the council.

Forster outlined a series of recommendations intended to increase on‑street availability, encourage employees to use off‑street ramps and stabilize parking finances: initiate on‑street paid parking (Forster suggested $1 per hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday as a starting point), lower off‑street ramp rates to encourage use, make employee monthly permits meaningfully cheaper than on‑street pricing, implement regular rate adjustments…