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COLUMBIA — Downtown patrons waiting for a ride home on weekend nights might be able to continue using the designated taxi stands that were originally implemented as a pilot project.
The Columbia City Council will vote Monday on whether to keep the taxi stands in operation.
- Patrons of Harpo's Bar and Grill talk to a taxi at the intersection of Cherry and Tenth streets Saturday. If the new ordinance establishing taxi stands passes, taxis could be ticketed if they parked outside of designated spots.
- Bar patrons wait at the taxi stand on Tenth Street near Cherry Street after bars close Saturday. The Columbia City Council will vote on Monday whether to make the taxi stands permanent.
There are currently five designated taxi stands and six “no pick-up/drop-off” zones downtown in operation from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. The pilot project began in May 2011.
Jesse Hamilton, a Columbia resident, typically uses the taxi stands downtown at least once a week and likes the establishment of specific spots for taxis.
“As long as they have designated hours, so during the daytime if I can still park in these metered spots, I think that’s great because there are enough spots around town where people coming downtown can park,” Hamilton said.
Suggestions from the Downtown Community Improvement District include permanent signs to better indicate to people and motorists where the taxi stands and “no pick-up/drop-off” zones are located. The organization also suggested painting the taxi stand curbs in black and yellow checkers to serve as a visual indicator.
Better visual signage could reduce the amount of improper parking by non-designated vehicles. Between July 22 and Dec. 31, 175 taxi stand parking citations were issued, according to a document from the city manager, Mike Matthes, and staff.
The “no pick-up/drop-off” zones are located on both sides of Broadway between Seventh Street and Short Street; both sides of Cherry Street between Ninth Street and Tenth Street; both sides of Hitt Street between Broadway and Cherry Street; Ninth Street between Walnut Street and University Avenue; Sixth Street between Broadway and Walnut Street and Tenth Street between Broadway and Locust Street.
If City Council passes the ordinance, the taxi stands will be located at a portion of Broadway, at Cherry Street between Hitt Street and Tenth Street, on Locust Street between Ninth Street and Tenth Street and on a portion of Ninth Street.
Kyle Robertson, who was waiting for a taxi Friday night, said that it is difficult at times to find a taxi without specific locations.
“It’s a good idea, because it’s a designated spot instead of chasing people around,” Robertson said.
The ordinance would also allow buses, limousines and STRIPES vehicles to stop in the designated spots.
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Comments
I've never actually seen a taxi at one of these taxi stands. I've only ever seen cars parked in them. Of course that's in the 9-11pm range, not past midnight. Even I've parked in them during the designated taxi stand times, because they are the only open parking spots for blocks around, and there are no taxis there at the time.
Maybe they're a good thing, but I sure don't see it. It could just be a matter timing: push the punch-out time past 10pm instead of 9pm, and my irritation over apparently unused and wasted parking space would mostly go away.