Tickets issued to drivers for parking violations in the Banff townsite were considerably down this year – but it remains an ongoing problem as Banff struggles with parking and congestion issues.
The Town of Banff issued 6,832 payable tickets for parking related offences from Jan. 1 to Sept. 10 this year, compared to 9,535 fines in 2016 over the same period, representing a 28 per cent decrease.
“The increased focus on consistent and efficient parking enforcement continues to prove to be a successful tactic in helping manage Banff’s traffic issues,” said Adrian Field, the Town of Banff’s engineering director.
“Since 2015, a higher concentration on parking enforcement, specifically in the downtown core, has arguably been the predominant factor in reducing a significant parking shortfall, leading to greater parking stall availability.”
Of the total tickets issued this year, 2,870 were time limit related compared to 5,370 time-related tickets last year – a 47 per cent decrease.
In addition, 1,094 of the 6,832 (16 per cent) of total tickets were second or subsequent tickets in 2017. That compares to 2,147 of 9,535 being repeat offenders in 2016.
Town of Banff officials say there are two major factors that can for certain attribute to the decrease in ticket numbers, including no parking signs added in key locations near fire hydrants this year.
In addition, they say, until late 2016, two of the car rental agencies operating in the downtown core did not have off-street parking available for clients returning vehicles after hours. One of the agencies did not open on weekends at all.
“As such, we saw a high number of returned rental vehicles that would be parked in time limit and other regulated zones in the downtown core near the agencies,” Field said, noting the two agencies have since moved further from the downtown core.
“Often, these vehicles would receive tickets before agency representatives were able to go out and pick these cars up.”
The Town of Banff hired Indigo Park Canada Inc. to collect data this summer, using the same licence plate recognition methodology the company used in 2014-2016. Data was collected for the first week of July and the first week in August.
In a report presented to council in September, Indigo found many parkers continually neglected to adhere to time limits on-street and off-street parking spots.
The authors of the report said with a stricter zero tolerance approach, especially in surface lots, and an increase in enforcement, this would become a more effective method to control parking inventory.
By not permitting extended stays, they said it would encourage turnover of parking spaces.
“If drivers continue to neglect the parking regulations, towing and impounding of vehicles could be considered as a last resort,” according to the report.
