Trial run shows more rideshare access could make downtown Columbia safer
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Results from a trial run of expanded rideshare parking spaces in downtown Columbia last year showed promise in making the area safer.
On Tuesday night, the Columbia City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that will block off 32 more parking spaces to designate for taxis and rideshare services in downtown, making 66 spots total.
The start time for the rideshare stands also moved to 9 p.m., two hours earlier than the previous 11 p.m. start time. The stands will continue operating until 2 a.m.
The designated areas would include parking spaces along Broadway, Cherry, Ninth, Tenth and Walnut streets.
When asked if the changes could help to curb crimes motivated by loitering and tailgating, city spokesman Christopher Ave said it could be "a possibility." Ave went on to write in a statement that the city would welcome the development, but only time will tell.
City documents show that Columbia Police reported an increase in overnight traffic congestion connected to rideshare operators and customers violating traffic laws in August 2025. The city said those problems stemmed from a lack of designated places for operators and customers to use rideshare services.
In response, the Columbia Police Department ramped up enforcement of misdemeanor offenses downtown like jaywalking. Between Aug. 15-17, 2025, CPD handed out 21 citations as part of the new enforcement strategy. This included eight tickets for jaywalking or disobeying traffic signals. Eleven were for parking violations, while the other two included indecent exposure and an uninsured driver.
The city tested a rideshare pull-off zone last September by temporarily blocking metered parking. In October 2025, after the shooting death of Stephens College student Aiyanna Williams, metered parking was temporarily blocked off again to test designated pickup/drop off zones with Uber and Lyft.
CPD reported that the results of both of these pilot weekends saw a dramatic reduction in traffic violations and an overall improvement in pedestrian safety. Rideshare drivers also reported that the designated zones felt safer.
A request from the Downtown Community Improvement District on Aug. 19 asked for parking meters to be bagged Aug. 21-22 between Eighth and Tenth streets.
The request asked that the meters be closed from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in an effort to address large crowds and loitering.
University of Missouri System President Mun Choi has called the area a "danger zone" in a series of emails to city leaders in light of multiple large scenes during the summer months. One incident was a brawl that led to seven arrests on July 26, and another was a shots-fired incident at the beginning of August that led to felony charges.
Emails show Choi put his backing behind the Aug. 19 request from the District.
In his response to Choi, City Manager De'Carlon Seewood said the issue needs to be studied across downtown before the city acts on a single street.
"To determine how widespread the problem is, we would like to sit down with you, The District and CPD to discuss all instances of overnight tailgating downtown and exchange ideas on how best to address the issue," Seewood wrote.
Choi called Seewood's response "continued inaction" and described it as deeply concerning. He also addressed Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe.
"We do not need additional studies. De’Carlon and his team should have been evaluating and addressing this issue since the first instance of violence in this section of Walnut Street," Choi wrote. "If there are legitimate public safety concerns associated with overnight tailgating and activities that contribute to violence, then address them. This is precisely why the public has become so frustrated with city leaders. Problems that call for action result in further study and delay."
Ave said city code does not allow the city to ban parking for the reason given in the request. Ave said CPD also advised that no “emergency” exists that would legally allow the suspension of parking in the requested area as the basis for the city's denial.
