Council Member Eleanor Revelle (7th Ward) plans to seek passage of an ordinance at Monday’s City Council meeting to limit parking in the area around Northwestern University’s Welsh-Ryan Arena when it hosts games, concerts or other special events, with an eye toward Ryan Field’s planned 2026 opening.
Revelle said at Tuesday’s Seventh Ward meeting that the proposed ordinance would restrict street parking in Evanston’s sixth parking district to those with resident or guest permits for two hours before, during and one hour after events at the arena.
Violators would face a $125 fine on their parking ticket.
If passed, the ordinance would call for an evaluation to be conducted in early 2026 to allow for any updates ahead of the 2026 football season, when games will kickoff once again at the new Ryan Field.
“We’re going to be evaluating it during this time to see if we’re really getting it right,” Revelle said. “The parking fine is $125 to really get people’s attention. Is that the right amount? We don’t know yet.”
Retirement bucket list
Parking restrictions have been on Revelle’s list of items she plans to advance before she steps down next year. “The minute the [Ryan Field] concert idea was raised, I started talking about residential parking,” Revelle said Tuesday, referring to concerts that may be held starting in 2027 at the completed stadium.
Parking restrictions would extend north and west of the North Shore Canal, east of Green Bay Road, and south of Isabella Street, according to Revelle’s presentation. Those who have paid the Evanston wheel tax and have sixth district parking permits or guest passes would be exempt.
Phase one of these proposed parking restrictions includes basketball games and other large events, like volleyball games or the occasional concert, during 2025 and early 2026.
Signs to alert residents and visitors to the new parking rules would feature a QR code people could scan to learn when restrictions would be in effect.
Survey findings
At the Seventh Ward meeting, held at the Morton Civic Center, Revelle presented findings of a recent survey of ward residents showing support for parking restrictions, especially during concerts and football games.
Of the 305 responses, 160 indicated support for parking restrictions during concerts and 140 supported limits during football games. Basketball game parking restrictions (on the table now as only Welsh-Ryan arena is covered in the proposed legislation) received support from 90 residents. Football games, concerts and other future events at Ryan Field will require further legislation and/or an amendment to the ordinance to be included in the parking restrictions.
A few residents at the meeting questioned how people will know about the parking restrictions once they begin. In addition to signs, one resident suggested the city use a phone alert system, much like that used for street cleaning days, for parking-restricted event days.
Revelle also noted that Northwestern or any other ticket seller would need to warn buyers about parking restrictions in the area.
Although a few residents raised concerns over details and making sure the restrictions were transparent to residents and visitors, the general consensus at the meeting was in favor of parking restrictions.
“It’s going to take an education,” one resident commented, adding that people will have to get used to the new rules. “I think that will happen with time.”
Revelle seeks parking restrictions for Welsh-Ryan games, concerts is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.