Columbia on-street parking rates increase to $1 starting Monday

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

All on-street parking rates in Downtown Columbia are increasing to $1 per hour, a $0.40 increase, starting Monday, according to a city press release. This ensures all parking rates match the campus area south of Elm Street.

According to the release, the city intentionally selected Monday to reprogram and update pricing labels on the meters and install new signage with updated rates because fewer people will be downtown.

This is the first rate adjustment since 2013, according to the release. The additional parking revenue will be used to maintain and improve parking infrastructure.

Columbia resident Amanda Werlein said she already avoids downtown because of traffic, and she doesn't think Columbia should charge for parking.

"I think it would help the community more to have more freely available parking. It would be nice if parking wasn't paid at all," Werlein said.

Werlein also said an extra $0.40 isn't a big deal.

"It is a reasonable enough choice to increase the parking to a dollar; it's not that much of a change," Werlein said. "It shouldn't be something that is there to begin with." 

Also starting on Monday, cashless users who pay the meter on the ParkMobile App won't have a fee associated with their transaction, according to the release. About 54% of people pay for parking through the app.