Free street parking in downtown Joliet starts next week

Motorists headed for downtown Joliet next week will get something many have been seeking for years: free parking.

Starting Sept. 1, motorists get two hours of free street parking.

The new system divides downtown into three zones.

Motorists get up to two hours of free parking in any one of those zones. Those who move their car around to the different zone could get up to six hours, but only two hours are allowed per zone.

“This change will make downtown parking more affordable and accessible, while also helping to increase availability and reduce congestion,” Public Works Director Greg Ruddy said in a news release issued Monday to announce the start date.

The Sept. 1 start date actually is the Labor Day holiday, and the city does not enforce metered parking restrictions downtown on holidays. So the first day when the two-hour limit will apply is Sept. 2.

Parking restrictions downtown will not apply on holidays and weekends, when parking in the deck also is free. Deck parking on other days will continue to be paid parking.

The city announced three components of the new parking plan:

• The two-hour limit will apply from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays in parking zones designated as A, B and C. Signs have been installed to identify the zones and the restrictions.

• Re-parking within the same zone will not be permitted between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays.

• The city will continue to restrict parking between 3 and 5 a.m. on designated streets for street cleaning, including Jefferson Street (between Joliet Street and Mayor Art Schultz Drive), Cass Street (between Joliet Street and Eastern Avenue), and Chicago Street (between Washington and Jackson streets)

The city will enforce the two-hour limit with a vehicle equipped with License Plate Reader cameras to monitor parking duration and location. Parking violators face $30 fines if ticketed.

Opening up downtown

But city officials hope that the new availability of free parking will make downtown more welcoming to visitors.

The lifting of metered street parking downtown comes as Joliet completes work on a new city square downtown and a redesign of Chicago Street aimed at making the major thoroughfare more customer friendly.

“Affordable parking, a new community gathering place, thriving businesses, and exciting events will help transform the heart of our city into a vibrant destination for residents, families, and visitors,” Mayor Terry D’Arcy said in the release.

The free-parking plan has been in the works for more than a year since the City Council in August 2024 approved the purchase of a mobile license-plate reader to make enforcement of a time-limit possible while removing meters.

The council in June approved the two-hour plan.

The city retains a time-limit on downtown street parking to ensure that spots in front of businesses and other places that people visit open up periodically throughout a day.