Mount Prospect Village Hall. (Journal photo)
Downtown Mount Prospect has more than enough public parking to handle daily commuting and special events, though minor adjustments are needed to fix specific “hot spots,” according to a study presented to the village board.
Engineers from Rosemont-based consulting firm Kenig, Lindgren, O’Hare, and Aboona Inc. (KLOA) joined village staff to present an updated assessment of the downtown area. The report updated a 2018 study to account for major redevelopments and shifting commute patterns following the pandemic.
The study found that downtown currently offers 2,161 public parking spaces — divided between 63% off-street lots or decks and 37% on-street spots — alongside nearly 1,800 private spaces.
While the number of public spaces has dipped by 48 since 2018 due to projects like the new Chase Bank and 20 West apartments, private parking grew by 450 spaces. This resulted in an 11.2% net increase in total parking capacity for the area.
The study highlighted a significant drop in demand compared to pre-pandemic levels:
Peak Usage: Even during overlapping Saturday events, only 53.8% of public parking was utilized.
Weekday Demand: Midday peaks hovered around 42.4%, a lower rate than in 2018 and below that of comparable suburbs.
Commuter Shifts: Facilities once near capacity now have “substantial availability,” particularly during evenings and weekends.
While some blocks experience high demand, consultants noted that adequate parking is almost always available within one or two blocks of any destination.
To address localized congestion, KLOA and village staff recommended several strategies rather than large-scale construction:
Better Wayfinding: Improving signs and marketing to direct drivers toward underused parking decks and commuter lots.
Time Limits: Adjusting on-street parking durations in high-demand areas to encourage turnover.
Enforcement: Increasing parking enforcement during peak periods.
Infrastructure: Modifying certain streets, such as Pine Street, to add limited on-street capacity and exploring a potential parking deck in the downtown’s southwest quadrant for long-term needs.
The report concluded that future redevelopment impacts remain manageable, as underutilized parking decks can absorb displaced spots from new construction.
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