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City Council Approves Plan to Install Gates in Columbia's Parking Garages

KBIA file photo

Columbia drivers will encounter a new gate system in the six downtown parking garages, set to be completed by this April. The gates will replace parking attendants, but still allow garage users to pay with their smartphones, cash, Como Park cards and credit cards.

City Council member Michael Trapp says the new gate system will make the garages more welcoming to use and hold drivers more accountable.

“We’ve had strong suspicions that we’re getting drive-offs and people aren’t paying, that it’s just based on the honors system," Trapp says. 

Trapp said that some drivers find the parking garages intimidating, or have a strong preference for street parking. He says City Council believes the new gate system will provide enhanced security and convenience for users.