Citing future growth and demand, the Missoula Parking Commission on Tuesday approved a resolution to establish managed parking on the Hip Strip and several surrounding blocks.
If final approval is granted by the City Council, the new parking regulations will begin in early 2026.
“There is a need to address the competing interest in that area,” said parking services director Jodi Pilgrim. “We are aware that management would shift demand patterns. Expansion to the larger area would allow us to manage that shift proactively.”
The parking commission began a parking study in 2023. A parking plan was adopted the following summer with recommendations on expansion.
Pilgrim said that expanding the parking district meets a number of criteria, including occupancy that exceeds 75% during a typical day or weekend. The benefits of managed parking must offset costs, she added.
Future redevelopment in the Hip Strip area will also increase parking demand.
“The Hip Strip will be zoned to match downtown. We expect that zoning to allow for more development and changes in the area,” she said. “There is already one known redevelopment project in the study area. We expect that to increase density in the area and increase demand for on-street parking resources.”
That project, proposed by Waypointe Homes LP, includes a mixed-use building with a blend of housing and retail. The former Missoulian property is also poised for redevelopment.
“Cars and free parking aren't what make the Hip Strip great,” said resident Lindsay Nugent. “It's the people who are walking into businesses. I'd rather there not be a ton of free, subsidized parking.”
The parking commission currently manages two areas, including downtown and the larger university district. The two are separated by the Clark Fork River and the Hip Strip.
“The extended area would actually connect the two jurisdictional boundaries we already have,” Pilgrim said. “Our enforcement officers drive through this area, going between the two separate parts of our jurisdiction. Expansions would simplify that boundary.”
