ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: December 1, 1997

Author/Local: RGM/7347

CC File No. 5654

TO:	Standing Committee on Transportation and Traffic
FROM:	General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT:	Parking Enforcement Electronic Hand-Held Equipment Trial

RECOMMENDATION

THAT a trial of Hand-held parking enforcement equipment be undertaken with required funding of $50,000 provided from the Strategic Initiative fund.

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The hand-held parking enforcement technology has not been used extensively in other large cities. However, we believe the technology has now evolved to the point where it is appropriate to conduct a pilot project, particularly in light of the potential savings and improved customer service. The General Manager of Engineering Services recommends approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

There is no Council Policy directly applicable to this issue.

PURPOSE

This report reviews the parking enforcement ticketing process and in particular focuses on the potential use of electronic hand-held parking enforcement equipment.

BACKGROUND

This is one of several re-engineering initiatives that involve the parking enforcement process. Other reviews include an extensive review of the Bylaw Fines collection system that has resulted in major changes to improve this operation (some of which are still being implemented), and a review being conducted of the parking enforcement operation that is examining enforcement staffing needs and efficiencies. This following submission revisits a previous review of parking enforcement hardware and associated software that was conducted several years ago.

Hand-held parking enforcement equipment has been in use in some jurisdictions for 6 years. The field units are carried by parking enforcement staff and allow for the electronic recording and printing of parking tickets. These devices can store information to be used by the checker and eliminate the need to convert the information for computer use.

Locally IMPARK has been using this technology for its enforcement programs for 5 years. More recently a number of smaller B.C. municipalities have started to use this equipment, and a listing of some users is attached as Appendix A. The majority of the current users are small and many of them are universities where they complement their parking permit programs. The technology has now advanced so that it is advantageous in large jurisdictions like Vancouver.

STAFF REVIEW/ BUSINESS CASE

A staff team has reviewed the City’s parking enforcement ticketing process. In particular the review focussed on the potential use of electronic hand-held parking enforcement equipment. This study identified a range of potential benefits and the approximate costs of a system. The specific costs and benefits are identified in Appendix B.

Hard benefits include a significant reduction, and ultimately the elimination, of data conversion staff. In addition are several other very significant potential benefits that could result in better service to the public and considerable revenue gains. These include:

-improved ticket payment from the ability to target repeat offenders with towing. This benefit alone could result in roughly $500,000 in added parking fine revenue per year, if a 5% improvement in ticket payment was achieved.

-reduced number of errors in transcribing tickets

-faster response to public inquiries

-improved legibility of notices and standardization of checker notes

-improved management and deployment of parking enforcement staff, that could come from better information reports;

-reduced paper handling by both parking enforcement and By-law fines

-better enforcement of the illegal use of resident permits in permit areas.

Appendix C identifies a 3 year pay back based on the staff saving only. Appendix D indicates a 1 year payback with increased revenues included.

TRIAL

It is proposed that a trial use of this equipment be undertaken before the City converts to this equipment. The trial will determine the functionality of this technology before a large commitment is made. This will ensure that the equipment does not reduce ticket writing productivity and functions as expected in a fully outdoor environment. It will also allow a staged implementation which will better manage staff resources and allow field staff more time to become experts with the hand-held units.

Hand-held parking enforcement equipment may also lend itself to over-the-air digital technology, an area of evolving capabilities. If feasible, this would allow the units to communicate directly with the City’s parking data base and to interact directly with the office and towing contractor. It is proposed that this technology be examined, as part of this review.

STAFF IMPLICATIONS

This trial is expected to use a limited amount of IT staff resources to examine integration of the hand-held units software with the existing city computer systems. Staff resources in this area are limited because of the work that needs to be done for the new core financial system. Because of this the primary IT work would be included as part of the supplier contract. Theneeded IT staff contacts at the City should be assigned as a priority, because of the potential benefits, and as it supports the move away from the mainframe system.

If the trial is successful and a full system is purchased there will be a reduction of 3-4 staff that presently enter data from the manual tickets. The hand-helds should also improve the productivity of the parking enforcement office which will allow them to do more work with no increase in staff.

A copy of this report has been sent to CUPE local 15.

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Appendix B

Parking Enforcement

Hand-held Computer Ticketing System

Costs & Benefits

Capital Costs

Trial Costs	$50,000
Complete system costs
Hand-held units with printers (50 units)	$250,000
Docking stations	$5,000
PC’s with printers (2)	$10,000
Development costs	$30,000
Staff training	$18,000
Total capital costs	$363,000

Annual Operating Savings / Revenues

Increase ticket payment by 5%	$500,000
Eliminate duplicate data entry	$130,000
Reduce keypunching error by 0.5%	$30,000
Total operating savings	$630,000

Annual Operating Costs

Equipment replacement (10 years)	$35,000
Equipment maintenance	$3,000
Total operating costs	$38,000

(c) 1997 City of Vancouver