West Vancouver Council has approved a sharp increase in traffic fines for the first time since 2006, aiming to improve road safety and bring them in line with other communities. The unanimous vote on December 8 comes as the district faces rising traffic volumes and outdated fines that staff say are failing to deter offenders.
“Most regularly enforced traffic fines in the District are the most lenient compared to other jurisdictions on the North Shore, further reflecting a need for change,” notes the staff report to the council.
The decision means drivers will now face steeper penalties for violations like parking in no-stopping zones, blocking fire hydrants, and obstructing traffic flow. According to a staff report, the increases are expected to generate additional revenue while improving compliance with municipal bylaws.
Change in parking fines
Here’s how some fines will change under the new rules. Currently, most of these fines range from $35 to $45.:
Parking in no-stopping zones: $80.
Exceeding time limits in parking zones: $60.
Blocking a fire hydrant: $100.
Obstructing traffic: $100.
Parking too close to a driveway: $80.
The increases would also bring fines closer to the $98 fines imposed by the contractor enforcing the Pay Parking Program in District parks. West Vancouver has a Pay Parking Program in Whytecliff Park, Lighthouse Park, and Nelson Canyon/Whyte Lake Park. “Bringing municipal fines closer to this amount would seek to dissuade individuals from parking in surrounding areas or illegal no-parking zones to avoid paying for parking and risk a more minimal District contravention,” the staff report notes.
Coun. Linda Watt expresses concern
Councillor Linda Watt expressed her concern over the long delay in updating traffic fines, emphasizing the impact of inflation. “Historically, these fines have not been reviewed annually to account for inflation, and they’re not part of the annual fees and charges for review. Why has it not increased since 2006, that is 18 years?” she said. Watt highlighted that a $35 ticket from 2006 would now be equivalent to $51, and a $100 ticket would equate to $145.71, noting, “That’s significant.”
She also pointed to enforcement issues, mentioning that only 457 parking tickets were issued in 2023. “You’d think we would have that number of violators in less than a week,” Watt said, suggesting the district explore hiring more bylaw officers to address the gap. “I understand we don’t have enough bylaw officers that would surely pay for themselves given these numbers; if we were to put it out to community members that may be looking for part-time work, and then we don’t have the problem of losing people because they can’t afford to cross a bridge.”
Comments
NOTE: The North Shore Daily Post welcomes your opinions and comments. We do not allow personal attacks, offensive language or unsubstantiated allegations. We reserve the right to edit comments for length, style, legality and taste and reproduce them in print, electronic or otherwise. For further information, please contact the editor or publisher, or see our Terms and Conditions.