 Parking is one of the few public systems that people judge one trip at a time. Find a space near your destination, and the system barely registers. Circle the block twice, get a ticket or fight with a payment app, and suddenly Bloomington has a parking crisis.
I spent four years on the now-defunct City of Bloomington Parking Commission. My experience is that downtown parking is generally available and reasonably priced. Someone who has spent 15 minutes searching for a space may reasonably see things differently. Individual experiences quickly become conclusions about the entire system. The City’s new parking study offers another chance to compare those perceptions with actual usage—and to consider parking as public infrastructure supporting workers, businesses and development. A parking problem, or a convenience problem? More than 1,500 people responded to the study’s survey. 55 percent said they usually find an on-street space within five minutes. 44 percent said Bloomington’s rates are comparable to other communities, while another 32 percent said they are lower. Those responses present a calmer picture than the public debate often suggests (Walker Consultants, 2026). The listening sessions were less reassuring. Participants associated parking with fines, hassle, and confusion. Downtown businesses said some customers assume parking will be difficult and choose another destination. Broken equipment, enforcement and limited awareness of cheaper garage spaces also came up repeatedly. Both experiences can exist within the same system. Garage spaces may be available while every curb space beside a restaurant is occupied. Bloomington can have enough parking overall while particular blocks reach capacity at certain hours. Perception also carries an economic cost. A customer who expects downtown parking to be difficult may never make the trip. An occupancy report produced afterward does not recover the visit. Better signage, visible garage entrances and clearer information may improve the experience as much as another rate adjustment.
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 The City of Bloomington will offer free street parking downtown and in city garages from Thursday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday and to support downtown businesses. Parking will be free on the following days throughout the holiday season:
 The City of Bloomington's 4th Street parking garage, at the corner of 4th and Walnut, will open on Monday, Aug. 23. The structure has over 500 spaces, a covered bicycle area, public bathrooms and retail space.
The smaller parking garage that had been on the spot was closed in 2018 and taken down. A public art display will be installed in early October. The city plans to have a dedication ceremony in the fall.  The City of Bloomington's Trades District parking garage, located near 10th Street and the B-Line, is opening on Saturday, April 17 with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m.
The new structure has 350 spaces with ground-floor commercial/retail space. It includes a public art installation, Aurora Almanac, by artist Esteban Garcia Bravo. Click here to learn more about the Trades District garage.  Christopher Emge Christopher Emge, principal of the Success School at the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, was appointed this month to the City of Bloomington Parking Commission.
He was appointed by Mayor John Hamilton for a term ending Jan. 31, 2022. The Chamber's Success School, formerly known as the Franklin Initiative, acts as the connection between the business community and the education community. Find out more about the Success School here.  The City of Bloomington is offering free Election Day parking on its downtown metered spots and garages. City offices will be closed.
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls are open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Go to the Indiana Voter Portal to find your polling location. Update: Find Monroe County election results here. Statewide results will be posted on the Indiana Election Division results site.  The City of Bloomington is implementing parking via the ParkMobile app, allowing people to find, reserve, and pay for parking at over 150 spots in two app-only parking zones in Bloomington.
The app will be activated later this month for parking at these locations, which previously were free:
More information about using the app is available at Park Mobile Pay By Phone FAQs. The app-only zones are available to those without a smartphone by calling the number listed at the Pay By Phone sign (1-877-727-5007) and following instructions to pay by credit card.  Several changes designed to support downtown businesses will be extended by the City of Bloomington through the end of 2020. These include:
Previously, these initiatives were set to expire on Sept. 30. The PUDO zones and parklets will be extended by the Bloomington Department of Public Works, and the weekend closures of Kirkwood will go before the Bloomington Council at an upcoming meeting in September, according to city staff. Businesses that are interested in the parklet program can apply online here. More information is available on the city's business resource page, or contact Kaisa Goodman at [email protected].  Tables in a parklet on College Avenue in front of SmokeWorks and Social Cantina. The City of Bloomington has started a pilot program to convert parking spaces into additional spots for outdoor dining in the downtown area. Restaurants that want to create these “parklets” can apply to the city, which will then install barriers to protect the seating area.
Businesses can apply online here. More information is available on the city's business resource page, or contact Kaisa Goodman at [email protected]. The program will be available at least through Sept. 30.  The City of Bloomington has designed 54 parking spots throughout downtown as free 15-minute pick-up/drop-off (PUDO) locations for restaurants and merchants. The intent is to support the curbside pick-up model that many businesses are using during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here for an interactive map of the PUDO spaces. This pilot project, which starts Aug. 1, has been approved by the city's Board of Public Works through Sept. 30. After that, it could be extended via temporary order or city council vote. The city also announced that starting Aug. 1, enforcement of metered parking spaces will begin again from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The city has been offering two free hours of metered parking since March. |
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