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The future of parking enforcement?
09 November 2010
Now while we don't have the budget for this type of equipment right now, it's probably coming sometime in the future for bylaw enforcement. It is worth following up to find out if the improvements in efficiency pay a dividend that helps counter the cost, and how long the pay-back period is.
This story from the Municipal Information Network:
City of Guelph by-law vehicle now equipped with hi-tech tool
By-law officers improve efficiency with technology
Guelph, November 9, 2010 - Guelph will be one of the first municipalities in Ontario to use a mobile licence plate recognition device for parking by-law enforcement.
The device will be installed in one of the by-law enforcement vehicles and will make by-law compliance operations more efficient. Upgrades to the existing overnight exemption program, will make it easier for residents to request overnight parking exemptions.
"This system replaces the physical system of chalking tires, manually recording plates and checking overnight parking exemptions against a paper printout," said Doug Godfrey, the City’s Manager of By-law Compliance and Security. "An added benefit is that residents can now make overnight parking requests online, with the information being uploaded to the licence plate recognition system immediately."
As by-law compliance officers patrol City streets, the mobile licence plate recognition system uses cameras mounted at the front and side of the vehicle to identify licence plates of parked vehicles along with the vehicle's precise location. When officers activate the system to monitor time limit zones, the computer will automatically check licence plates of parked vehicles. On subsequent patrols, the system will alert the officer if any vehicle has exceeded the posted time limit. If necessary, before and after photos will be compared to determine if the vehicle has moved and if a parking ticket is warranted.If a ticket is warranted, it will be issued through the officer's handheld ticket writer and attached to the vehicle.
The licence plate recognition system also has the ability to check licence plates against a stolen licence plate file.If a stolen vehicle is detected by the system, the by-law compliance officer will be alerted and in turn will notify the Guelph Police Service.
In the past two years, the by-law compliance office has received over 100 calls requesting enforcement of the City's time limit zones and has processed over 18,000 overnight parking exemptions. The mobile licence plate recognition system will improve the City's ability to address these requests and free up time for staff to address other by-law issues.
The licence plate recognition vehicle will be travelling on City streets as by-law compliance staff receive training over the next two weeks. The programs are currently being tested and implementation is anticipated by the end of November.
The new system was approved by City Council during the 2010 budget deliberation. The total budget allotment was $70,000.
This story from the Municipal Information Network:
City of Guelph by-law vehicle now equipped with hi-tech tool
By-law officers improve efficiency with technology
Guelph, November 9, 2010 - Guelph will be one of the first municipalities in Ontario to use a mobile licence plate recognition device for parking by-law enforcement.
The device will be installed in one of the by-law enforcement vehicles and will make by-law compliance operations more efficient. Upgrades to the existing overnight exemption program, will make it easier for residents to request overnight parking exemptions.
"This system replaces the physical system of chalking tires, manually recording plates and checking overnight parking exemptions against a paper printout," said Doug Godfrey, the City’s Manager of By-law Compliance and Security. "An added benefit is that residents can now make overnight parking requests online, with the information being uploaded to the licence plate recognition system immediately."
As by-law compliance officers patrol City streets, the mobile licence plate recognition system uses cameras mounted at the front and side of the vehicle to identify licence plates of parked vehicles along with the vehicle's precise location. When officers activate the system to monitor time limit zones, the computer will automatically check licence plates of parked vehicles. On subsequent patrols, the system will alert the officer if any vehicle has exceeded the posted time limit. If necessary, before and after photos will be compared to determine if the vehicle has moved and if a parking ticket is warranted.If a ticket is warranted, it will be issued through the officer's handheld ticket writer and attached to the vehicle.
The licence plate recognition system also has the ability to check licence plates against a stolen licence plate file.If a stolen vehicle is detected by the system, the by-law compliance officer will be alerted and in turn will notify the Guelph Police Service.
In the past two years, the by-law compliance office has received over 100 calls requesting enforcement of the City's time limit zones and has processed over 18,000 overnight parking exemptions. The mobile licence plate recognition system will improve the City's ability to address these requests and free up time for staff to address other by-law issues.
The licence plate recognition vehicle will be travelling on City streets as by-law compliance staff receive training over the next two weeks. The programs are currently being tested and implementation is anticipated by the end of November.
The new system was approved by City Council during the 2010 budget deliberation. The total budget allotment was $70,000.
