By Emily Keller

city enforcement services

City Enforcement Services focus on unlawful parking for month of August

Aug 12, 2019 | 7:00 AM

City Enforcement Services will be focusing on unlawful parking in residential areas this month for August’s Bylaw Enforcement Education Program, or BEEP.

City Enforcement Services says some of the common parking offenses seen in Grande Prairie include parking within 5 meters of a crosswalk or intersection, in no parking or no stopping zones, in disabled spaces or on the wrong side of a two-way street.

Sergeant Ross Gear says many people do not understand the difference between a no stopping zone, and a no parking zone.

“If you’re in a no parking zone, you’re allowed to stop and let a passenger get out of your vehicle or let a passenger get into your vehicle. You can’t stay there and wait for a passenger, you know if they’re doing something else, you’re gonna wait ten minutes for somebody to come here, no, then you’re actually in violation of the law.”

No parking sign

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There is no stopping allowed at all in an area signed as a no stopping zone, as they are usually reserved for transit bus traffic.

Gear also says not everyone remembers the issues with parking so close to a crosswalk or intersection.

“When you park to close to a crosswalk, you’re changing the sight line, you know, for the person coming out thats attempting to cross, and also for the driver thats approaching, you know, when a vehicle thats backing out of that five meter buffer the sight line is much better, you can see the pedestrian much earlier and the pedestrian can see the vehicle much earlier.”

Ultimately, Gear wants to remind people that the road is a shared system and not a parking lot, especially in residential areas.

“In a residential area hopefully residents know their neighbors and respect their neighbors and you know, allow people to park in front of their places, but at the end of the day, nobody owns the road and it’s equal for everybody.”

The fine for most parking offenses is $68.