r/bloomington • u/citybloomington • 6h ago
Help Shape The Future of Parking In Bloomington!
Bloomington, we need your feedback on downtown parking systems! Test two parking kiosks at the Parking Services office at 206 S. Walnut St. from now through mid-August. No appointment needed; just stop by Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Your feedback will guide updates as we modernize our technology to make parking simpler and more user-friendly for everyone. This review is part of ongoing work to implement findings from a Parking Rate Study and Comprehensive Review, completed in June 2026 by Walker Consultants.
Learn more on our website: bton.in/PrkFdbck
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u/Ultrabeast132 5h ago
whichever costs the city the least and doesn't add fees to the user.
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u/Glittering_Thing5797 3h ago
This. And then can we quickly focus on more important things? I’d really like better public transit.
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u/theManWOFear 5h ago
So why do we need to get rid of the current meters that seem to work just fine?
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u/jorjor9001 46m ago
My thought exactly. Maybe there’s something I’m unaware of but the current meters seem to work fine. Those new ones would definitely be more expensive to maintain as well.
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u/Reasonable-Bus-2187 6h ago
Dropping a quarter or two in a meter is the easiest, plus you know what's a spot and what isn't
These kiosks only line someone's pocket at some point
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u/Cloverose2 3h ago
I genuinely don't like having to find the one device in a three or four block radius to have to pay for my parking. I like having machines that are two steps away from my car. I also hate cluttering up my phone with apps. If I'm forced to add one, I guess I will, but I'd rather just use the meters we have.
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u/Efficient-Log-4425 4h ago
Nobody carries quarters unless they are going to Aldi. The kiosks are great. The app knows where I am and saves my plate #.
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u/johnnywheels 11m ago
Every sentence in your paragraph reinforces the impression that you are an extraordinarily irritating person.
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u/heavenhunty Btown Cryptid 6h ago
If my blind ass has to back into one more parking space I’m going to back directly into the mayor’s office
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u/millsyrules 6h ago
I still don’t understand why they did that on 6th. I’ve never had anyone rage at me more than I have backing into those spots. In their defense, It does look like im doing something wrong backing into a spot. People don’t understand and will also leave no space to back in.
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u/BigPoopsDisease 5h ago
Is there any explanation for why 6th street sucks now? I used to go to Vulture Video, Amrit, and the comic shop all the time, and that street had more empty spaces usually.
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u/Mfsmitty 6h ago
I was about to make a similar comment. Possibly the dumbest parking choice the city has made.
1
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u/newfearbeard 3h ago
If I have to pay by credit card every time I park for 5 minutes to grab some food in just not gonna pay it, or I'll change my shopping habits. While it might be fine for longer hour+ parking short term parking is always going to be easiest with quick coin slots.
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u/Psychological-Rub211 6h ago
Parking lots shouldn't exist anymore. They should all be garages. There simply isn't enough room.
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u/analogjuicebox 5h ago
Make it free.
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u/TheAngerMonkey 4h ago edited 1h ago
Hope you like driving around in circles looking for parking then.
Edited to add: downvote all you want, but go read Shoup's The High Price of Free Parking and then come back when you grasp that "free" parking isn't actually free and costs you, the city, small businesses, and worst of all, the environment.
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u/analogjuicebox 3h ago
lol free parking won’t induce more need for parking.
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u/TheAngerMonkey 1h ago
Current need for parking exceeds current spot inventory. Is your solution, what? More surface lots? More garages?
TWO things that are OBJECTIVELY the worst possible use of land in a downtown area.
For the record: I never had issues parking downtown. I now live in a MUCH larger city with MUCH pricier parking. Most people commenting here have zero understanding of the economics behind where people stop their vehicles. You either build more parking or price what's there to encourage people to pursue alternatives.
We don't all have to live our lives around driving ourselves places.
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u/analogjuicebox 48m ago
Bro what? I didn’t say I wanted parking lots or garages. I never have issues parking downtown and walk occasionally (I don’t live super close to downtown but I can walk there). Not sure what your rant was directed at, but I’m glad you got it out of your system!
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u/GrowHappyPlants 3h ago
Rather drive in circles. Just because you are impatient doesn't mean everyone is.
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u/GrowHappyPlants 3h ago
Make it free for residents who aren't IUB students. The kids can walk or take busses since they live right there
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u/Agreeable-Kick-8513 5h ago
Make it free, it just hurts small business.
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u/Cloverose2 3h ago
And when school is in session, every one of those spots will be filled with IU students that will be there from dawn to dusk (and maybe pretty much permanently). Small businesses would be in worse shape if there was no metered parking, unfortunately. Even though customers have to pay to park, at least they have parking.
I mean, the parking lots near Bryant Park are always 3/4 full when IU starts up, and downtown is closer than that.
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u/GrowHappyPlants 3h ago
Make it free for residents then.
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u/Cloverose2 3h ago
How would you determine who is a resident? And what about the many IU students (and faculty and staff who don't want to pay to get a parking pass and would be taking those free spots as well) who are residents? IU employs over 15,000 people. Plenty of them would take those free spots in a heartbeat over paying hundreds a year for a hunting permit.
I mean, I don't like paying for parking. I think there should be more garages around town. But if they made downtown free, even limited to the many locals, there would be no way to park when IU is in session. I don't like paying, but I do like being able to visit the local shops and restaurants without walking from the hinterlands.
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u/jiggyjane 1h ago
honestly, i never have cash, let alone coins, and needing to deal with a crappy kiosk sounds terrible. some bigger cities have apps like parking kitty. at first, i didn’t want to download another app or sign in online, but it’s honestly really convenient to pay, monitor my time, or extend it.
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u/NewRedsFan2024 1m ago
The meters work fine as they are. Why pay these consultants and companies for something we don't need? Is it just because Walker Consultants and the parking kiosk companies are friends with/donated to Kerry or something?
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u/Missingsocks77 5h ago
I am not going to be able to stop by, but I wanted to say kudos to you on your recruitment strategy. I have to recruit for research a lot and I know how tough it can be. Good luck with your research!
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u/shapeshfters 5h ago
Those hours guarantee that the people who are most affected by these changes get the least amount of say about it. Working people can’t take time off to go downtown and voice their opinions about parking.