Lots of parking in downtown St. Paul — but not always where you want it

There's at least one way to open up more on-street parking in downtown St. Paul: Raise the rates to the point where some drivers choose to park in an off-street lot or ramp instead.

Easier said than done, of course. But it's just one of several strategies outlined in a report released Friday on ways to improve parking in the city's commercial district, an issue that is getting renewed scrutiny with the influx of downtown residents and the May opening of the Saints' ballpark.

The analysis, conducted over the past six months by Nelson/Nygaard Consulting of Boston at a cost to the city of $90,000, makes clear once and for all that parking squeezes in downtown St. Paul amount to a problem of convenience, not supply and demand. The summary report and technical memos can be found at www.stpaul.gov/downtownparkingstrategy.

The overall conclusion is that St. Paul needs to better manage its downtown parking, said Hilary Holmes, city planner for the Planning and Economic Development Department.

"It's all about how you connect people with parking and other ways to get around," she said.

High on the list of proposed solutions: creating a centralized transportation website and app with parking options, providing readable and identifiable signs that show drivers where to go, and allowing drivers to pay for parking by cellphone.

The study also suggests that St. Paul centralize its parking management under one "mobility authority" that would cut red tape on parking decisions and make it easier to meet shifting demands.

Even at peak times during workdays, the study found that at least 7,000 parking spaces aren't being used (although it wasn't clear how many of those spaces belonged to monthly contracts).

On the weekend, prospects for parking downtown are even brighter: More than 14,000 spaces are open even at the busiest times.

Moreover, according to the study, plenty of parking should continue to be available even with the new ballpark and future developments at the Macy's site and along Kellogg Boulevard and W. 7th Street.

But researchers found there's no easy way to let drivers know where most of that parking is located.

The most obvious spaces, those on the street, typically are taken — especially on weekends and evenings, when only two in 10 spots might be open.

To better equalize demand between on- and off-street parking, the study recommends that St. Paul charge on-street rates closer to prices for the first hour of off-street parking. The idea, Holmes said, is that "if someone wants the convenience, they'll pay to be on the street."

It also recommends that city employees lose their "placard" privileges, which allow them to park where they want while on city business, and look into using angled parking or some other design twist to create more on-street spaces.

"It's not any one surefire thing," Holmes said. "It's all these small things that you try to tweak."

The analysis will be shared with the Planning Commission and City Council members, who will decide on which recommendations to implement.

Kevin Duchschere • 651-925-5035