The Downtown Area Urban Renewal District Board received a detailed presentation on July 14 from parking consultant McLaren regarding the downtown parking vision plan. The consultant presented findings from over 1,310 survey responses and analyzed foot traffic data showing 1.3 million U.S. visitors came to downtown Bozeman in 2025. A key insight emerged: downtown visitation from local Bozeman residents has remained stagnant while the area population grew 14% since 2019, suggesting public education campaigns should focus on local and regional residents rather than out-of-town visitors. Data also revealed Bozeman residents account for 44% of overtime parking citations despite making up only 7% of total visitors, compared to out-of-state visitors who comprise 74% of visitors but only 29% of citations.
The survey identified four opportunities: exploring free or affordable top-level garage parking for employees, launching a public education campaign about parking rules, improving existing facilities, and enhancing signage and wayfinding. Board members raised concerns about the plan's scope. Board Member John How argued the plan did not adequately address expanding parking supply and the district's $5 million reserve fund, urging the board to "try something" rather than delay implementation. Board Member Marley McKenna agreed the plan should reference adding parking capacity but cautioned that survey data suggests additional garage construction may not be the solution since existing garages are underutilized. The vision plan and public education campaign are targeted for completion this fall.
The board also voted unanimously to recommend amending district bylaws to expand membership from seven to nine members to include county and state representatives, aligning with Senate Bill 3 requirements. The amendment moves to the City Commission for final approval.