Free parking in downtown Joliet still weeks away

Yes, Joliet, there will be free parking downtown, but it is still several weeks away, city officials said.

Paid parking on downtown streets has been the norm for decades, so waiting a matter of weeks or even months for free parking may be something to put into perspective.

But city officials at one point said free parking would be in place by the end of 2024.

More recently, City Manager Beth Beatty said a plan for free street parking would go to the City Council for approval sometime in May.

With no free-parking proposal yet on the council agenda this week, Beatty was asked again when it may be ready.

Beatty said a proposal will go to the council for approval at its June 17 meeting.

“You can quote me on that,” she said.

Even with council approval, it likely will take six to eight weeks to put free parking in place, Public Works Director Greg Ruddy said.

The city will have to remove meters, order new signs with parking instructions and install them, he said.

The plan at this point is to make street parking free for two hours, which would be designated by signs around the downtown area.

The city in August bought a mobile license plate reader, which would facilitate checking on parked cars to ensure they weren’t taking up spaces all day. The reader on wheels was considered a major step to make free parking a reality.

The city still intends to charge for parking at the Ottawa Street parking deck.