The Sandpoint City Council voted Wednesday to remove parking kiosks from the downtown core, returning on-street parking to a free two-hour limit with enforcement through citations for overstay.
The decision, made on Aug. 5, marks a shift in how the city manages downtown parking. Motorists who need additional time can extend their parking remotely via text message or through the ParkSmarter mobile app. Signage will be updated with scannable QR codes that allow drivers to pay for extended parking time without visiting a physical kiosk.
The city will remove the kiosks entirely from downtown streets, though kiosks at Sandpoint City Beach and in city parking lots will remain operational. Some of the removed equipment will be repurposed for those beach and lot locations.
The change streamlines downtown parking access while maintaining options for longer-term parkers who need additional time beyond the two-hour window. The city plans to update signage to reflect the new system and guide motorists to payment options.
What Comes Next
Installation of new signage with QR codes is expected to follow the removal of kiosks. The city will transition enforcement to citation-based overstay monitoring for downtown on-street parking.