Downtown Parking Study

Launching in the fall of 2022, the City of Springfield, in conjunction with Walker Consultants, conducted a study of parking options in downtown Springfield. The goal of the study was to provide the City with options for improving the parking system, with a focus on fostering a vibrant quality of place and sustaining future economic development in the downtown Springfield area.

The specific study area for the project is bordered roughly by National Avenue on the east, Grant Avenue on the west, Elm Street on the south and Phelps Street on the North.

As a part of the study, Walker Consultants assessed existing public and private parking, both on- and off-street, within the study area and documented how parking is used throughout various seasons, times of the week and times of day. Additionally, the project included a holistic review of existing parking regulations, operating policies and procedures, enforcement practices and other aspects of the parking system, resulting in recommendations aimed at improving all aspects of the public parking system. 

The parking study also included field observations, data collection, property owner and stakeholder input, as well as feedback from a public survey. Input provided in this survey was used to inform recommendations for future parking improvements, downtown planning and development strategies and other innovative parking solutions to help support the continued growth and development of downtown Springfield.