City investing in high-tech parking enforcement

After a new license plate recognition system was parked more than a year ago, the push for the project is up and running again with a contract signed and bylaw changes proposed.

VanTek International was awarded the contract in July after the first posting – in fall 2014 – failed to get a single bid from the city’s request for proposal. The equipment and technology costs are expected to be $172,500, which the city staff put at 23 per cent below the approved capital budget. In December 2013, city council approved a budget of up to $450,000 for the project.

At Monday’s meeting, staff are asking city council to pass two amended bylaws through third reading. Described as “housekeeping” changes, they will remove reference to two-hour parking downtown and add free residential permits.

The changes will give the city the flexibility to have several different timed zones downtown, the staff report noted. It says time zones could start as early as 7 a.m.

The report fleshes out the new approach to parking downtown, which will rely on four different technologies: Mobile License Plate Recognition, a Permitting system, Pay by Plate pay-stations and TicketManager.

The license plate software means more vehicles can be screened, and with more regularity, and offers the option of flagging repeat offenders.

“The camera system is capable of capturing license plates across three lanes of traffic at a rate of up to 5,000 per minute,” the staff report said.

It also means moving a car every couple hours won’t reset the parking clock – instead downtown motorists will have a three-hour “cumulative” clock, something staff said both the downtown business association and Chamber of Commerce support.

The report proposes to double most fines from $25 to $50 and increase fines for repeat offenders to $75 for three or more times.

Drivers will be fined $100 for parking in disabled parking stalls.

Those with disabled permits will have to follow the same time limits, however.

Nine Pay by Plate pay-stations will replace the existing pay and display approach, with the newer system representing “the most advanced method of pay parking,” a presentation said.

These stations will be at the Four Seasons Pool, Civic Centre and library. Despite the lots being “abused by employees” at nearby businesses, they will have three hours of free parking and payment thereafter.

The TicketManager device shows real-time data to bylaw officers as they check vehicles.

“Staff will be able to view violation history and determine if towing or escalating fines are necessary,” the city presentation noted.

An online permit system is for drivers to rent and manage their stalls. With drivers responsible for their own updates, it should reduce administration costs, city staff said.

“It will put more responsibility on the user to keep their account current, and will automatically cancel their permits if not paid within a specified grace period.”