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City of Columbia announces downtown on-street parking rate change, effective Jan. 5, 2026

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(COLUMBIA, MO) ~ Columbia City Council Approves Adjustment to Downtown Parking Rates for Fiscal Year 2026

In a move to address rising costs and necessary repairs, the City of Columbia has approved an adjustment to downtown on-street parking rates. The decision was made during a City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 15 as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

Effective Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, the new hourly rate for downtown parking meters will be $1. This change will coincide with the University of Missouri's winter break when there are typically fewer students and visitors in the downtown area. The timing was chosen to minimize disruptions and allow for Public Works to prepare new decals and signage. However, due to the individual reprogramming and relabeling of each meter, the process is expected to take one to two weeks, weather permitting.

This adjustment also includes a unified rate across both the downtown and campus areas. Previously, the campus on-street parking area south of Elm Street had a $1 hourly rate while downtown had a lower rate of 60 cents per hour. This difference often led users to seek out cheaper parking options downtown. By establishing a single rate, the City hopes to simplify the system and balance demand.

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In addition to this change in rates, fees for users of the ParkMobile app will also be adjusted so that they pay the same $1 per hour as coin users starting Jan. 5. However, parking garage rates will remain unchanged at 50 cents per hour with the first hour free.

This is the first time on-street parking rates have been adjusted since 2013. According to evaluations by Walker Consultants and City staff, there is an estimated $9 million to $10 million in needed repairs and technology updates over the next two to five years. These include upcoming projects such as repairs on Fifth and Walnut garage and updates on Tenth and Cherry garage elevator. As the Parking Utility is funded through user fees rather than the City's general fund, meter revenue is crucial in supporting the operation and long-term maintenance of the parking system.

A comparative analysis of 17 similarly-sized cities found that Columbia's previous 60-cent rate fell below the middle of the range. Even with the adjustment to $1 per hour, Columbia's rate remains below the average rate identified in the analysis.

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This updated rate comes alongside recent efforts by Public Works to make parking downtown more consistent and user-friendly. Since 2024, several changes have been implemented including introducing 15-minute curbside pickup meters, extending all 2-hour meters to 3-hour limits, simplifying time limits, expanding the number of 10-hour parking meters, unifying parking enforcement hours, and releasing a new online parking map.

The City of Columbia is grateful for the community's support in keeping downtown parking reliable and accessible. This rate adjustment, along with recent improvements, reflects their ongoing commitment to providing a parking system that serves residents, employees, and visitors. For more information on parking downtown, visit CoMo.gov/parking.

Filed Under: Government, City
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