Grand Forks plans to enhance downtown parking enforcement starting in 2025 for better consistency and efficiency
Recently, the City Council gave the green light to a new deal with Interstate Parking. This means there will be someone dedicated to monitoring parking in the downtown area more often. City Planning Manager Andrea Edwardson mentioned that before, it was hit or miss, depending on police availability. Now, a dedicated person will be on the streets regularly.
Traditionally, community service officers from the police department handled parking enforcement, but they’ve got a lot on their plates. They also deal with court duties and animal control, which means parking enforcement often took a backseat. Interim Police Chief Lt. Dwight Love pointed out that as the city grows, the demand for consistent parking enforcement has increased, and it’s been tough to keep up.
Switching to Interstate Parking isn’t just about consistency; it’s also a cost-saving move. Hiring a community service officer can run the city about $73,000 to $86,000 a year, and they might need two to cover all duties. The new contract with Interstate costs the city $85,438.55, which is a better deal.
Love believes this contract is a smart move, and it’s not a forever commitment. They’ll try it out for a year and reassess when the contract is up in 2026. The city will still collect revenue from parking tickets, which will help cover the contract costs.
This change comes as the city has already adjusted parking rules in various downtown areas to better meet local needs. Edwardson noted that these changes have been working well, freeing up some on-street parking.
In August, the city shifted many all-day parking zones to two-hour limits, impacting about six blocks. A 2019 study showed there’s enough parking downtown, but managing it effectively is crucial. The goal is to balance long-term and short-term parking for local businesses.
Looking ahead to 2025, there might not be many major changes, but the city hopes to add more parking spaces along North Fourth Street. Edwardson mentioned they need to go through the North Dakota Department of Transportation to make that happen, but they’re optimistic about a favorable outcome from the traffic study this summer.
