Columbus council hears plan to modernize parking code, add bike- and bus-lane infractions

Columbus City Council heard a code-change presentation on proposed amendments to City Code Chapter 21.50 on Tuesday, during which Department of Public Service staff described a package of revisions meant to simplify appeals, calibrate fines and add safety-focused violations ahead of planned bus rapid transit corridors.

Justin Goodwin, administrator for mobility and parking services, said the division drafted the changes as an implementation item from an updated strategic parking plan intended to modernize operations. “We have an updated parking citation fines themselves for over a decade,” Goodwin said, arguing the code is cumbersome to administer and difficult for the public to read.

Amanda Ford, parking operations coordinator, summarized the central operational changes: the city would move from a 10-day response window before a penalty to a 30-day window, introduce a tiered fine structure with an early-payment discount and simplify the appeals process so residents either pay or request a hearing within 30 days. Ford said, “Right now, you get 10 days…