12. Implement effective and fair enforcement of parking rules.

Enforcement of rules is a crucial element of parking management. However, like pricing, enforcement is rarely popular. To ensure effective yet fair enforcement, it should focus on improving compliance rather than serving as a source of revenue.

Efficient and Technology-Driven Enforcement

For enforcement to be both cost-effective and minimally intrusive, technological solutions should be utilized. One proven method is electronic license plate recognition (LPR) from patrol vehicles, which allows for widespread, automated monitoring at a lower cost while reducing direct interactions between inspectors and the public.

Prioritizing Serious Violations Over Minor Mistakes

Enforcement should primarily target clear parking violations rather than penalizing drivers for minor, unintentional mistakes. A graduated enforcement approach can enhance fairness:

• First offense: a warning.

• Second offense: a small fine.

• Third and subsequent offenses: a full penalty.

To prevent long-term accumulation of penalties, the system should erase previous violations after a reasonable period (e.g., one year).

Measuring Enforcement Effectiveness

The goal of enforcement should be to reduce illegal parking, not to maximize fines. A successful parking policy should result in most revenue coming from voluntary parking payments rather than fines. If violation rates decline, this indicates successful enforcement. However, if violations increase over time, it suggests that pricing or availability issues need to be addressed.

Enforcement as a Policy Tool, Not a Revenue Source

Relying solely on enforcement, without proper pricing and management, will ultimately fail. If parking demand exceeds supply and pricing mechanisms are ineffective, more drivers will resort to illegal parking. Over time, as more drivers receive fines, political pressure will grow to weaken enforcement, effectively normalizing illegal parking. This leads to a gradual erosion of public space, where private vehicles increasingly encroach on pedestrian areas.

Leveraging Data for Smarter Policy Decisions

Parking enforcement should also serve as a data collection tool for municipalities. Inspectors and enforcement technologies already gather valuable data on:

• Types and frequency of parking violations

• Peak times and high-violation areas

• Overall availability of parking across different neighbourhoods

Analyzing this data enables policymakers to refine parking regulations and pricing based on real-world patterns rather than assumptions.

To further enhance data-driven decision-making, municipalities should establish data-sharing agreements with digital parking payment providers (such as Pango and CelloPark). Aggregated, anonymized transaction data can provide valuable insights into parking demand trends, helping to fine-tune pricing and enforcement strategies.