City of Vancouver cracks down on illegal parking near SkyTrain stations, using licence plate recognition tech The City of Vancouver has launched a pilot strategy that will allow parking tickets to be issued by mail in four residential permit zones near major public transit hubs, expanding the use of licence plate recognition (LPR) technology in parking enforcement. The pilot is currently underway in the residential areas surrounding SkyTrain’s Joyce-Collingwood Station, Oakridge-41st Avenue Station, and SkyTrain’s Commercial-Broadway Station, as well as along the Commercial Drive corridor. The four pilot zones — where vehicles are required to have a residential permit in order to be able to park on the curbside — have long been used by some commuters and visitors as informal park-and-ride areas. To avoid traffic congestion and high pay parking fees in Downtown Vancouver, some drivers are known to leave vehicles parked for extended periods on nearby curbside streets before continuing their trips by SkyTrain, contributing to parking shortages and enforcement challenges in surrounding residential neighbourhoods. - You might also like: - 'End of an era': City of Vancouver to cease coin payment for parking - City of Vancouver announces new parking app, touts ‘flexibility’ - Vancouver Park Board to consider a rethink of this summer's parking rate hike at Spanish Banks Beach, reaching $4.25 per hour According to the City, the neighbourhoods were selected because they have experienced low compliance with parking regulations, creating challenges for residents, local businesses and traffic flow. Under the strategy, municipal parking enforcement officers can use LPR cameras installed on City bylaw enforcement vehicles to identify parking violations and issue tickets that are mailed directly to the registered vehicle owner instead of being physically placed on the vehicle. The City states the initiative is intended to improve compliance with parking rules, increase parking