Parking fine increase on council agenda

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on February 7, 2023.

Herald photo by Al Beeber Council will be asked today to give second and third readings to a bylaw that would allow the City to increase the fines for parking infractions.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge city council today will be asked to give second and third readings to a bylaw increasing fines for parking penalties in Lethbridge.

The parking fine increase initiative was approved in last November’s budget deliberations.

Council gave first reading on Jan. 24 to Bylaw 6393, a bylaw to amend Traffic Bylaw 5834.

If parking fines are increased, the penalty would rise from $25 to $50 while maintaining the $15 reduction if the fine is paid within seven days of offense.

The current traffic bylaw has three schedules with fines of $25, $30 and $50. All fines are reduced by the same $15 amount if paid in seven days.

According to a report to council submitted by Traffic Engineering and Planning Manager Ahmed Ali, most infraction sections in the traffic bylaw relate to parking and current fines are the lowest compared to similar municipalities.

Ali’s report says one flat fine will make the application of fines “simple and encourage compliance.”

The report to council says lower parking fines aren’t a meaningful deterrent to infractions while increasing them will result in increased compliance and also an increase in parking revenue without the City implementing a parking rate increase.

“This could result in enhanced level of service by increasing parking turnover,” says the report.

The report says increasing parking turnover through increased compliance will help “businesses to have parking available for their customers.”

The anticipated revenue increase from the fine hike is expected to be $250,000 annually.

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