MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, COME AUGUST. The parking systems in downtown Eau Claire have changed many times over the past decade or so. The most significant change in recent years was the implementation of Passport, an app and tech provider in the downtown parking ramps. 

Unless you’re living under a rock (or solely utilize non-personal vehicle transportation), it’s more than likely you know paid parking will be implemented throughout the core of downtown Eau Claire.

While the new paid system's start date was pushed back from June 1 to Aug. 1, the will-they-won't-they dance is over – as of Saturday, Aug. 1, Passport app- and kiosk-driven fees will kick in and be enforced by the City of Eau Claire Neighborhood Services Division.

Parking Administrator Aaron Roths acknowledges there will be a learning curve for folks as they get used to the new process.

THE PARKING RUNDOWN: Pricing & Date/Time Enforcements

• What's the price to park? Depending on where you're parking, between E. Madison Street to Emery Street, it'll cost $0.50-$1/hour. 
• How do I pay? There will be 20-plus kiosks to accept coin or card, or you can download the Passport app to pay via smartphone.
• When are these fees enforced? From 1-11pm, Monday-Saturday. If you're parking between 6am-1pm, on Sundays or holidays, parking is free with no hourly limit.
• What about the parking ramps? The two parking ramps in downtown Eau Claire are still available with the same pricing structure as usual ($0.50/hour).

Roths stepped into his current parking-focused role around the start of this year; he is the first full-time parking staffer the City has ever had. This work follows Roths' other city-related responsibilities in years prior, which included working with downtown's Business Improvement Districts.

Previously, Eau Claire parking enforcement and support was handled by numerous City departments and people, spanning the City Engineering and Neighborhood Services Divisions to the Eau Claire Police Department.

Moving forward, these tasks will fall under Neighborhood Services; Roths will serve as the lead administrator and a couple other staffers will handle enforcement.

The signage that will be implemented, alongside the 20-plus kiosks, in the downtown Eau Claire paid parking zones.

A number of informational events on the incoming changes have been held over the past few months.

On July 8, two open house events were held (one at City Hall in the afternoon, one at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in the evening) and offered attendees the chance to try out the new payment kiosks and ask staff questions. A handful of people went to those open houses, Roths said.

In total, there are about 25 kiosks or “curbside pay stations” for folks who would rather pay via cash or card, as opposed to using the Passport app.

There will be 28 “Quick Stop Spots” – parking spaces available for up to 15 minutes – throughout the area, intended for folks who are picking up a coffee or meal, popping into a storefront for a minute or two, etc.

There are still nine municipal lots and parking ramps available to park in, two of which are free (the Forest Street and Schlegilmilch parking lots). And, yes, eventually some public parking spaces will open up at the Transit Center.

Wait, What About People Who Work Downtown?

Downtown Eau Claire business owners and managers can request parking passes for their employees – $5/month, per person – through the City. Those passes can only be acquired by contacting Roths.

There are a limited number of employee parking passes available, due to the limited amount of spaces available for the upper floors of the Gibson Parking Ramp. (There are just over 100 passes available for this option, Roths said.)

What If I Still Have More Questions?

ParkEC.org is a new website made solely to share information about the new downtown Eau Claire parking system. It was created by Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. and the City of Eau Claire.

There are over a dozen topics under the FAQ's tab, including “How are parking fees used?”; “Is it really worth it to come downtown now that I have to pay to park?”; “Why was the decision made to start charging for parking downtown?”; among others.

On the latter, the City has emphasized a few reasons behind the change (which has been a slow-moving but continued project since at least 2019).

The latest parking study conducted for Eau Claire's downtown area was completed in 2025. That study affirmed what previous studies also noted: the “highest value parking spots” (those along the busiest areas on and near Barstow Street) should have an associated fee, as one way to encourage parking turnover among downtown's limited parking spaces.

The money generated from these new parking fees is projected to be significant. Roths shared that, even though this implementation was pushed back from June 1 to Aug. 1, these last five months of the year could bring in about $285,000 of new revenue for the City.

By that estimate, a full calendar year of paid parking could bring in over half a million dollars. Those funds would go toward parking and road-related efforts, according to the City. 

So, there it is. May the force be with you, come Aug. 1.

Learn more about the new parking system in downtown Eau Claire on ParkEC.org. For more specific questions, reach out Aaron Roths and the Neighborhood Services Division team at neighborhoodservices2@eauclairewi.gov.