Missoula City Council tweaks ban on parking in bicycle lanes

Missoula’s newly enacted ordinance prohibiting parking in bicycle lanes was reconsidered and amended Monday night to address concerns of the Missoula Parking Commission and Mountain Line bus system.

On a unanimous vote, the council removed a prohibition on parking within 40 feet of a Mountain Line bus stop – a rule that would have unnecessarily required the removal of a number of designated parking spaces throughout the city.

Councilman Jordan Hess said he met with parking and bus line officials after hearing their concerns, and now believes there is no need to prohibit parking on either side of the bus stop.

The revised ordinance prohibits parking in the bus stop, as well as all parking in bicycle lanes.

He called the problem “basically a clerical error.”

One audience member, Kathy Deschamps (who unsuccessful ran for a City Council seat in November’s municipal election), asked if the city plans to paint the curb yellow in every area where cars now cannot park because of bike lanes.

No one at the meeting had a definitive answer, although several council members said they doubted that would happen.

But bike lanes are all marked.