Visitors to downtown Ames sometimes have trouble finding parking, especially during popular events and busy times of the day.
As more people live, work and play in the Main Street disrict, parking has become more difficult and access points feel increasingly strained. Those pressures are driving a new effort to study how a “multimodal transit hub,” which may include a parking garage, could help Ames keep pace with demand.
The City of Ames recently received a $500,000 federal planning grant to explore the idea. But for local leaders, the conversation started long before the award.
The parking structure at 129 Hayward Ave. in Campustown is a multimodal facility, meaning it involves several modes of transportation. It provides several parking spots and is also a CyRide stop and a bus stop for Jefferson Lines’ intercity travel routes. Bicycle infrastructure is an additional feature.
A similar downtown facility could provide some or all of these services.
Where would a parking garage fit in downtown Ames?
Ames Mayor John Haila said better parking options are a need that has been building for years as development accelerates.
“We have a very strong, healthy downtown already,” he said, “but further redevelopment is only going to increase the need for parking.”
The city’s guiding vision for downtown, finalized in early 2025, anticipated growth. The document reserved space behind the Wells Fargo block as a potential site for a future intermodal facility, noting that increased activity would eventually require more capacity.
Haila said the study, funded by the grant, will help answer basic yet essential questions, such as: How many parking spaces could this site accommodate? How tall would the structure be? What’s the demand? What would it cost?
He called the grant “an incredibly exciting foundational building block” that will give the city the data it needs to make informed decisions.
The grant does not require any local matching funds. The study is the first step of a project that could result in a parking structure in 18 months to 36 months.
Ames parking project is a shared effort to support growth
Dan Culhane, president and CEO of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance, said the project reflects a broader effort to prepare downtown for its next chapter. He pointed to the momentum already underway — new businesses, more housing interest and a busier Main Street — as signs that the community is moving in the right direction.
Culhane said the partnership between the city and the Alliance has been key.
“We’ve been working together on this vision for a long time,” he said. “The goal is to make sure downtown continues to be a place where people want to be — where it’s easy to get to, easy to navigate and easy to enjoy.”
He said the federal grant helps validate that work. With nearly 800 applications submitted nationwide, he sees Ames’ selection as a sign that the project is both competitive and timely.
“It tells us we’re on the right track,” he said.
What will the transit study do?
The planning work will update the city’s parking study, gather public input and develop conceptual designs for what a transit hub could look like. It will also examine how CyRide might fit, though any changes to routes or stops would be up to the transit board.
Haila emphasized that the study won’t commit the city to building anything. Instead, it will give leaders a clearer sense of what’s possible and what’s practical as downtown continues to evolve.
“This is one piece of a much larger puzzle,” he said. “But it’s an important one. It helps us move from vision to action.”
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rfaaborg@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Is downtown Ames ready for a parking garage? $500K grant to aid study
Reporting by Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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