Missoula, MT – In a move aimed at improving parking turnover and addressing ongoing issues in downtown Missoula, the Missoula Parking Commission voted Tuesday to raise lease rates and fines for parking violations.
The decision includes a 10% increase in lease rates for all but four of the city’s parking lots. The increase comes in response to concerns about low utilization of parking spaces in areas that are listed as fully occupied. According to Jodi Pilgrim, director of the Missoula Parking Commission, the new rates are designed to ensure spaces remain available for visitors and customers. “What we’re tasked with is ensuring that there are spaces, that there’s a turnover of cars and spaces,” Pilgrim explained. “So if you’re coming downtown to visit a business, there’s not someone parking there all day and blocking your access.”
In addition to the lease rate hike, the commission voted to raise the maximum fine for improper parking violations to $100 for a fifth offense. Pilgrim highlighted that current fines, which cap at $20, have been ineffective in curbing the behavior of repeat offenders. The issue is particularly pronounced in areas with parking meters and safety hazard violations, such as parking in loading zones or areas marked with yellow lines.
“We have very few tools to solve these problems,” Pilgrim said. “One issue we have in our lease parking areas is that we have low utilization in areas that we’re showing as 100% or more sold. And then we have wait lists in those areas. We have people who are unable to use the parking that we manage. And we have other people who are holding onto those spaces and not using them.”
The commission’s decision comes after years of complaints about the misuse of parking spaces, particularly by downtown business owners, managers, and employees. One former business owner, who operated Hide and Sole for over 50 years, voiced concerns that the actions of a few offenders were leading to a blanket penalty for everyone. “The majority of Missoulians do not get a lot of parking tickets in our downtown. Only a few are consistent abusers,” the former business owner said. “An analysis of parking tickets in 2014 showed that over 90% of Missoulians who got a parking ticket only received one or two a year. The real abusers of parking spaces tend to be business owners, business managers, and employees.”
The Missoula City Council will now review the commission’s recommendations and decide whether to adopt the increases in the coming weeks. If approved, the new fees and penalties could have a significant impact on downtown parking practices, particularly for those who rely on leased spaces or regularly park in restricted zones.
While some business owners have expressed concerns about the potential impact on their operations, the commission believes these changes are necessary to ensure that parking spaces are available for the public, particularly those coming into downtown to visit businesses. The hope is that by increasing the cost of long-term parking and imposing harsher penalties for repeated violations, more parking will become available for those who need it most.
The outcome of the City Council’s decision will be watched closely by local businesses, residents, and anyone who regularly uses downtown parking spaces.
