Parking

Parking Garages and Lots - Current Availability

Central Zone includes: Lot 4, Lot 21, and Lot 54
Main/Dempster Zone Inlcudes: Lot 24 and Lot 60
Downtown Zone includes: Lot 3, Lot 10, Lot 25, and Lot 27

Parking Regulations

Follow the posted street signs for parking restrictions on each block, including street cleaning, snow operations, residential permit districts, time limits and payment requirements. You can also review the City Code for parking regulations.

As a courtesy, the City offers text message and email alerts for street cleaning and snow parking restrictions.

Park Evanston mobile app

Download the free Park Evanston mobile app on the App Store or Google Play to pay for parking in Mobile Pay Only Zones and throughout Evanston.

Parking Violations

What happens after the City issues a ticket for a parking violation?

When a ticket is issued, the registered owner is given 10 days to pay the fine. The owner has 10 days from the date it is issued to contest the ticket. If the ticket is contested within the 10-day filing period, no penalties will be assessed while the case is being reviewed. Find out more information about contesting a ticket.

What are my ticket payment options?

Parking tickets may be paid by mail, in person, by phone or online. There are no payment plans available to pay parking tickets.

Please note that fines associated with vehicles that have been immobilized (“booted”) cannot be paid online. Only cash or credit card payments are accepted and you must contact the City Collector’s office to make payment in person or by phone at 847-448-4311.

What happens if a ticket is not paid or contested?

If the ticket is not paid by the original due date, the registered owner is mailed a second notice. The notice supplies information regarding the citation and options for paying or contesting the citation with an in-person, written or online hearing. The hearing will take place at the time indicated in the notice if payment or an alternate hearing request is not received prior to the hearing date on the notice. If the ticket is upheld in the adjudicated hearing, the registered owner has 21 days to pay the fine and applicable penalties.

Failure to pay or contest a citation within 35 days from the hearing decision may result in the matter being referred to a secondary collection agency.

About the Parking Services Division

The Parking Services Division is responsible for the operation and management of the three downtown garages owned by the City, including transient and monthly parking options. The division manages and maintains on-street parking spaces and 30+ surface lots, using parking pay stations and the ParkEvanston app. The City offers many parking opportunities, including those in the three main parking districts: Main/Dempster, Downtown, and Central. Parking also issues monthly parking permits, as well as disabled persons’ reserved parking spaces.

Parking Study

The City engaged WGI to perform a Parking Study on various aspects of Evanston's parking system. The study was set to begin in 2020 but was delayed to 2022 due to Covid-19.

WGI was contracted to perform the following:

A review of the rate/fee structure of City-owned parking garages, zones, lots, and permits
- Evanston’s rates/fees vs those in surrounding communities-Chicago as well as other municipalities of a similar size/makeup
- Effects of increasing rates/fines on demand-are current rates promoting more parkers, deterring parkers, etc
- Dynamic pricing-benefits to charging different rates in different parts of Evanston
- Permits-possible effects of increasing/decreasing permit fees, including wheel tax, residential permits, and monthly surface lot permits
A review of the parking rules and restrictions in the business districts
- How the current rules and time limits affect citizens’ driving, parking, and shopping habits
- Effects of moving to dynamic pricing rather than charging the same hourly rate across the city
- Comparison with other municipalities and how they handle business parking (long term parking for employees, short term for customers, etc)
  - potential impacts of issuing permits to non-resident business owners and employees
Citations/penalties for parking violations
- Evanston’s fines/penalties vs those in surrounding communities
- Current fines effect on compliance, and how increasing/decreasing fines would change the level of compliance
Northwestern Football Games and Special Events
- Effectiveness of current procedures surrounding football games and large-scale Northwestern events
- Effects of increased events on current parking infrastructure
Transit-Oriented Developments/Parking Requirements
- Examine recent TOP developments in Evanston and in surrounding communities to evaluate the effectiveness of the parking requirements and of the overall developments in order to align future projects
Cost of Service Study
- Opportunities to increase revenue or decrease costs

The final report was presented to City Council on September 27, 2022 and can be found here.

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City of Evanston Parking Information