New app helps St. Paul parkers find the perfect spot

Anybody driving in downtown St. Paul invariably asks the question: Where do I park?

The city of St. Paul on Friday launched a new web tool and downloadable app to provide an easy answer.

"It's all the information you need in one stop," said project manager Mary Gleich-Matthews.

To find a parking place, users can enter a venue's address or its name in a search box. After hitting the "Find Parking" button, an interactive map pops up displaying nearby parking ramps and meters. Click on the ramp or metered space of choice and information about rates, hours and contact information comes up. Users can set the distance on how far they want to walk to see more choices.

The tool also allows users to reserve a parking spot in advance and get directions. From the web, users can also download the city's Passport Parking App and use their cellphones to pay remotely for meters or to extend time.

"If you are going to the Wild game, you can reserve your spot in the Xcel Center ramp," Gleich-Matthews said.

There also are tips for permit, disability, overnight and holiday parking.

The app was developed in response to a study last year that revealed that downtown parking was the top concern of residents, employees and visitors, Gleich-Matthews said.

The study also found that parking ramps were underused and that some people did not know how to access them, said spokesman Joe Ellickson.

Now they can make "informed decisions," he said.

Ellickson suggested people bookmark the website stpaul.gov/parking-saint-paul to make it readily accessible.

The app could get a lot of use in the next few weeks as thousands are expected for the St. Paul Winter Carnival, which runs Jan. 25 to Feb. 10, and thousands of visitors attending the Super Bowl on Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis may venture across the river.