WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The city of Wausau announced this morning that parking changes will be coming to the downtown area. Expected to start in October the new “Wausome Parking” program will make it easier for residents and visitors alike to park downtown.
Mayor Robert B. Mielke explains some of the parking changes, “We’re going to be having parking kiosks. We’re going to be just like every other city in Wisconsin. Where we have parking kiosks where people can use their cell phone with a parking app to buy more time or to purchase time. As for parking, it’s two hours of free parking throughout downtown.” Changes like these will standardize the parking process.
A goal of the program is to make it easier for visitors to find parking downtown. Mayor Mielke notes that there have been problems in the past with people taking advantage of the former ticket system. With the new system, he remarks that “It’s going to be fair for everybody. Where everybody gets a shot to park wherever they wish. In particular customers and people, visitors to our downtown area.”
Along with the changes, there will be a grace period for residents to be educated about how the new parking system works. Part of this grace period includes a clean slate in 2019 for parking tickets. A person’s first parking ticket in 2019 will be free, and then the price will increase with each additional ticket.
The “Wausome Parking” program begins this October.