The City of Evanston has a population of 73,979 and is home to Northwestern University. Evanston contracted WGI to determine the best solutions for resolving current parking challenges and to assist in proactive parking planning to contribute to the city’s growth. The city’s staff noted challenges with lack of flexibility to institute changes, friction with residents and business owners, and inability to invest revenue in parking infrastructure as primary challenges faced by the parking system.

In addressing challenges faced by the city, WGI conducted an analysis of peer cities. Seven of the fifteen contacted cities responded to a request for information and were included in the analysis. Peer cities included mostly cities with large anchor institutions, like the dynamic with Evanston and Northwestern. Peer cities included Minneapolis, Columbus, and Madison, among others. Each peer city was benchmarked and analyzed on population characteristics, parking system characteristics, parking rates and fees, and organizational structure. The peer cities analysis provided context for findings related to Evanston’s parking system.

For analysis of Evanston’s parking system, it was divided into four main parking districts, seen as focal points of the system. These districts were observed and analyzed for parking adequacy and operational efficiency. WGI provided recommendations on rate structure by facility type, use of technology within the system, dynamic pricing options, enforcement of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policies, and parking during Northwestern events.