In order to update downtown parking, the City of Cedar Falls conducted a parking study in February 2019 which included a recommendation plan.
The immediate recommendations will be implemented in two phases during the upcoming months. Phase 1 and 2 were approved by the Cedar Falls City Council on June 17, 2019.
The new parking regulations that will be implemented for Phase 1 will allow for a wider variety of choices for the community, including:
- Allowing overnight parking on streets next to Main Street (for example, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Streets on either side of Main Street)
- Additional on-street parking in areas like State Street south of 2nd Street and angled parking on 2nd Street north of Overman Park
- Free on-street parking choices of 2, 3, and 24 hours
- 15 minute drop-off/pick-up zones throughout downtown
- Enforcement time changes to Monday through Saturday, 9 am - 8 pm
Phase 1 parking signs will be posted the week of July 8, 2019.
“Adoption and implementation of the parking study recommendations will transform the downtown parking program into a model program that is balanced and offers choices and options for downtown patrons, employees, and residents,” said Terra Ray, Engineer Technician II at the city of Cedar Falls.
In addition to implementing parking updates, a new downtown Met Transit Shuttle also became available earlier this month. This free service runs a 15-minute loop through downtown Cedar Falls to the Gateway Park parking lot, Thursday – Saturday nights, from 6 – 9 pm. Individuals can follow the shuttle on their smartphone or computer at www.mettransit.org/realtime.
Phase 2 of the revisions to downtown parking will include updated options for off-street paid parking. However, free on-street parking will continue to be available in the downtown area. This update will be implemented fall 2019.
To stay updated on parking changes in Cedar Falls, please visit www.cedarfalls.com/parking. You can view the final report of the Downtown Parking Study by visiting the “Parking” section (under “I Want To…”) at www.cedarfalls.com.