City seeks volunteers for neighborhood parking audits

Columbia Missourian

COLUMBIA — If you enjoy tracking the comings and goings of cars in parking spaces, the city of Columbia is looking for you.

A parking audit in neighborhoods adjacent to downtown will take place Thursday through Saturday in an attempt to "better understand parking patterns, opportunities and issues," in the area, according to a Monday news release from the city.

Volunteers are still needed for shifts from 3:30-6 p.m. and from 8:30-10 p.m. each day. Volunteers will mark occupancy and turnover rates of cars in their area on electronic or paper spreadsheets. The audit will focus on neighborhoods such as Benton-Stephens, North Central and East Campus.

The city applied for and won a Smart Growth America technical assistance workshop, which consisted of free training and guidance about how to conduct the audit.

“We’re at capacity for parking in those neighborhoods, so the city applied for help to find solutions to the parking issue,” said Leah Christian, a management fellow with the city manager’s office.

Anyone parking in those areas should continue with business as usual, Christian said.

Christian said data from the results of the audit will be collected and sent to a consultant with Smart Growth America, who will then conduct workshops and forums intended to address solutions to the parking problem.

A community forum is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 22 in the City Council chambers at the Daniel Boone City Building, 701 E. Broadway, and a stakeholder workshop is planned for 8 a.m. Sept. 23 in the building's Conference Rooms A&B.

The city has about 30 volunteers but could use 10 to 20 more, Christian said.

“There is a lot of walking required,” Christian said. “Anyone that is willing and able and interested, we are happy to have them help us.” 

Volunteers would also be required to take one of two orientations to prepare for their shifts, according to the news release. One orientation was scheduled for 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday and another for 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the City Council chambers.

Those interested in volunteering can click here to learn more and sign up.