MISSOULA - Has this ever happened to you? You’re trying to go to your favorite spot on the Hip Strip, but you can’t find any parking. Maybe you’ve driven around only to find a spot a couple of blocks down the street.
This is no secret to the Missoula Parking Commission, nd to try and address the parking conundrum, they’re looking to expand their jurisdiction down to the Hip Strip.
Watch to learn more about the Missoula Parking Commission's proposal:
“That area is contiguous with our existing boundaries right now, and so it will kind of streamline and simplify our boundary,” said Missoula Parking Commission director Jodi Pilgrim
Pilgrim says that their goal is to manage the limited parking spaces they have with the demand they see. This often takes the form of placing metered parking in certain areas, like downtown. The parking commission board’s approval of expanding the jurisdiction means that may extend to the Hip Strip.
“Our plan for actual parking management in the area is to start off with managing the signage that already exists over there, so there's some areas that are set up as two-hour parking that have never been enforced, and so we plan to start with managing those two-hour parking zones,” said Pilgrim.
But for those who park in the area, this expansion proposal comes with mixed feelings.
“As a business owner, I'm going to have to find my own parking every morning. So that's going to be a little bit of a pain if this does go through. I think it could be good for businesses. I think it's just going to take some adjusting,” said the owner of The Sports Exchange.
“You got to control these things, but like I'm just concerned because I need to be able to park my car here. I wouldn't really be able to pay for it, so if it was a permanent thing, I'd be kind of screwed,” said one resident of the Hip Strip.
The Missoula City Council would first have to approve the expansion. The proposal will be coming before them in the next two months.
You can leave a comment on the proposed expansion at engagemissoula.com by emailing the parking commission.
