Due to the severe lack of parking space in downtown districts, nine North Dakota cities turned to parking meters in hopes of solving their parking problems. This began the short but fraught, history of parking meters in North Dakota.
In 1941, Fargo was the first city to install parking meters. Within two weeks, the Fargo Forum stated they had “met almost universal approval.” Before, it was almost impossible to find a parking spot downtown. With meters, it was almost impossible not to.
On this date in 1946, Bismarck’s 450 parking meters began operation “for the benefit of the whole community.” Initial reviews were mixed, some registered violent complaints, while others believed them to be “a good thing for the city and traffic in general.” Police issued about 300 tickets to violators on that first day.
Minot also hoped that parking meters would provide “a faster turnover of available parking space,” installing about 375 meters in May of 1946. They bit off more than they expected. Almost immediately, Minot’s taxicab operators notified the city that they would be filing a writ of certiorari to stop the use of meters.
It only got worse from there. Most of the taxi operators organized and went on strike. Taxi operator, Ted Schram refused to strike, sparking taxi warfare in the city. This included gunshots, biting, choking, a general melee, multiple arrest warrants, and prank ambulance calls which nearly resulted in the death of a man during a real emergency.
The taxicab operators took their case—State ex rel. Dreyer et al. v. Brekke et al.—all the way to the North Dakota Supreme Court. But instead of ruling on the constitutionality of parking meters, the judges said the writ of certiorari was an “inadequate legal step” to test that question. The result disappointed both sides.
In July of 1947, Wahpeton became the last North Dakota city to install parking meters, despite opposition from both the Wahpeton Chamber of Commerce and the Richland County Farmer Globe. In their opposition, the Globe pointed to Fargo’s “courtesy nickel” policy, which effectively eliminated meter fines, and noted that meters in Grafton had done more harm than good.
Tune in next Wednesday, August 20th, to hear about the even more fraught end of parking meters in North Dakota.
Dakota Datebook by Cody Goehring
Sources:
- “Parking Meter Data,” 5/3/1948, SHSND 10100.0012.006
- Richland County Farmer Globe, 7/4/1941, p16, “Fargo Going to Parking Meters”
- Minot Daily News and Daily Optic Reporter, 11/25/1941, p4, “Fargo Happy with Meters”
- Bismarck Tribune, 8/7/1946, p1, “Parking Meters Will Be Put Into Operation Aug. 12”
- Bismarck Tribune, 8/10/1946, p3, “Here’s How You Work New Parking Meters”
- Bismarck Tribune, 8/12/1946, p1, “City’s Parking Meters Go Into Operation”
- Bismarck Tribune, 8/13/1946, p1, “Maybe They Don’t Like New Meters”
- Minot Daily News and Daily Optic Reporter, 5/21/1946, p4, “A Forward Step”
- Minot Daily News and Daily Optic Reporter, 5/27/1946, p1, “Parking Meter Use Begins In Minot; Damage By Vandals”
- Ward County Independent, 5/30/1946, p1 and 5, “Taxi Operators Ask City Be Enjoined From Using Meters”
- Ward County Independent, 6/6/1946, p1 and p5, “Gunplay Flames As Bitter Taxi Warfare Strikes Minot”
- Minot Daily News and Daily Optic Reporter, 4/11/1947, p1, “Part of Order for Additional Parking Meters Now Here”
- Minot Daily News and Daily Optic Reporter, 8/7/1947, p1, “No Clear Cut Decision In Parking Meter Case; City Free to Enforce Ordinance”
- Sanish Sentinel, 8/21/1947, p3, “Parking Meters Legality Still a Question of Law”
- State ex rel. Dreyer et al. v. Brekke et al. syllabus by the court, 8/6/1947, SHSND 10100.0015.004
- Letter from Harry M. Griffith (Chairman of the Retail Committee of the Wahpeton Chamber of Commerce) to the Wahpeton City Council, 2/15/1947, SHSND 40303.0000.001
- Richland County Farmer Globe, 6/27/1947, p20, “Parking Meter Problem”
- Richland County Farmer Globe, 7/11/1947, p2, “Parking Meter Regulations”
