Columbia looks to expand downtown rideshare zones

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia is looking to expand designated rideshare and taxi zones downtown in an effort to reduce traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety, according to the city.

The proposed ordinance would expand the amount of dedicated curb space downtown while giving rideshare drivers and customers more clearly defined locations for pickups and drop-offs.

Under the proposed ordinance, the city would:

• Increase designated taxi and rideshare spaces from 34 to 66.
• Start operating the zones at 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m.
• Include food and package delivery drivers.
• Limit loading and unloading to 15 minutes.
• Allow emergency-services parking to be designated in the areas while the ordinance is in effect.

The proposed zones would operate from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

According to the city, the proposed rideshare zones would include several locations throughout downtown:

• East Walnut Street: About eight spaces.
• East Broadway: About six spaces in front of FieldHouse, seven in front of Pickleman’s, six in front of India’s House, and six in front of Wynsome.
• Cherry Street: The entire block in front of Pizza Tree would be dedicated to rideshare pickups and drop-offs.
• North Ninth Street: About eight spaces.
• South 10th Street: About eight spaces.

The Columbia Police Department began looking at the issue in Aug. 2025 after noticing an increase in traffic violations and congestion involving rideshare drivers and customers during overnight hours.

Police said part of the problem was a lack of designated areas for rideshare pickups and drop-offs. Last fall, the city tested out five additional rideshare locations in an effort to help keep traffic moving.

The city said they tested potential solutions during two Mizzou football weekends last fall.

In Sept. 2025, the city temporarily blocked off metered parking to create a rideshare pull-off area. In October, officials again restricted metered parking and worked with Uber and Lyft to test designated pickup and drop-off locations.

During the October pilot, Uber and Lyft directed customers to the designated locations through their smartphone apps.

According to the police department, both pilot programs resulted in a significant reduction in traffic violations and an overall improvement in pedestrian safety.

Officials also gathered feedback from rideshare drivers and customers. Police said the response was positive, with drivers reporting that the designated pickup and drop-off areas made it safer and easier to serve customers.

However, ABC 17 spoke with rideshare drivers who said navigating the area during that time was still difficult.

Police said the earlier start time reflects a change in how people use rideshare services. Officials said rideshare trips are increasingly being used to arrive downtown earlier in the evening, rather than primarily leaving downtown at the end of the night.

The earlier hours would also give police an opportunity to address parking violations sooner.

The Community Improvement District previously provided positive feedback on an earlier version of the ordinance, and a majority of the CID supports updating the current rules.

Police said the proposed changes are based on observations from officers, feedback from the pilot programs and heat-map data provided by Uber and Lyft.

One rideshare driver told officials that drivers primarily need clearer direction on how to operate downtown.

Check back for updates.