The City of Great Falls has rolled out a series of new parking regulations effective March 3rd in an effort to stabilize its downtown parking program amid mounting financial losses. City leaders say the move is necessary, as the parking system’s reliance on subscription-based third-party vendors is contributing to recurring costs that the city can no longer absorb.
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“Some action, Commission action, had to take place that was presented by staff back in December to try to stop the loss that was being incurred every month,” said Jeremy Jones, Deputy City Manager.
One of the main challenges has been the congestion along Central Avenue—a hotspot for parking in the downtown area.
“They really see Central as a bottleneck. So if we can kind of push traffic off of Central into some of the other areas where it’s still a dollar an hour versus $1.50, and then also trying to push people to the garages,” explained Jayson Olthoff of the Parking Advisory Commission.
Among the changes: the hourly rate for parking along Central Avenue has increased from $1 to $1.50, and fines for non-payment or overtime violations have also gone up. Previously, enforcement was more lenient, with courtesy tickets and low initial fines. But city leaders say that approach only worsened the deficit.
“We used to allow for a courtesy ticket. And then after a courtesy ticket, you can get a $5 first fee ticket, which didn't even cover the cost of actually mailing out the ticket, getting the money back and then the cost and fees associated,” Jones added.
Officials hope the new rates and stricter enforcement will slow losses and increase turnover for downtown businesses.
However, the changes have sparked mixed reactions. Some residents worry parking costs will discourage shopping and dining downtown, while others believe the rates remain reasonable.
“I travel a lot and stuff, so when I'm in another city, I really don't pay much attention to parking. I just pay it. And I find the same thing here. It's the residents that are more upset about the parking fees than the tourists. Tourists coming in think it’s pretty cheap,” said Olthoff.
The city plans to continue the conversation about long-term parking solutions at a public meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, at 5:30 p.m. in the Civic Center. Until then, these interim rules remain in effect as city leaders work to keep downtown accessible and financially stable.
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(FEBRUARY 11, 2026) After months of discussion surrounding enforcement, turnover, and financial sustainability, the City of Great Falls has approved interim changes to its downtown parking program.
At the February 3rd commission meeting, city commissioners voted to increase on-street parking rates along Central Avenue from $1 to $1.50 per hour. City leaders say the adjustment is intended to stabilize a program that has been operating at a loss.
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Deputy City Manager Jeremy Jones said the downtown parking fund has been projecting monthly losses between $15,000 and $20,000 if no changes were made.
Commissioners have directed staff to ensure the program becomes self-sustaining, meaning it should operate without support from the city’s general fund.
“Parking should pay for parking,” Jones said, explaining that the commission’s guidance includes addressing business concerns about turnover while keeping the system financially stable.
According to Jones, on-street parking generates the largest share of revenue within the system, more than city garages.
However, infrastructure and technology challenges have complicated the issue. The city’s parking system relies on third-party vendors and subscription-based technology, creating recurring costs that are not always visible to the public eye.
Jones said one key takeaway from recent meetings has been the understanding that “free parking” does not truly exist if enforcement, maintenance, or infrastructure costs are involved.
In addition to the hourly rate increase, the city has implemented a new fine structure for violations.
Under the previous system, drivers received a courtesy ticket for their first offense, followed by relatively low fines for subsequent violations. Jones said those penalties were not covering enforcement costs and were not encouraging behavior change.
“As you start to get into that fourth and fifth parking violation within a 12-month rolling period, it hopefully changes the behavior with the fine structure behind it,” Jones said.
Jones emphasized that the recently approved changes are only interim.
“That is an interim phase only,” Jones said. “The long-term, what are we going to do with downtown parking, is still working behind the scenes.”
Following a special work session in December, the city formed a parking summit group made up of downtown business owners, property owners, and residents.
The group meets every other week and is exploring a range of possibilities, including technology upgrades, encouraging greater use of underutilized garages, and other structural changes.
“There is no solving downtown parking. Every community struggles with it,” he said, adding that the goal is to find a management approach that fits Great Falls’ needs.
A proposal is due to the city commission by April 30th. Depending on what is ultimately approved, implementation could take time, especially if new technology or structural changes are involved.
For now, the rate increase and updated fine structure are in place as a short-term effort to stabilize the program while broader discussions continue.
The parking summit group's next meeting is scheduled for February 13th in the Gibson Room at the Civic Center from 8 a.m. to noon, and members of the public are welcome to attend.
