Lethbridge city council updates parking ticket fines

Lethbridge city council has finalized the new parking fines bylaw.

This decision means parking fines will now be $40 with a $20 reduction in the downtown core for things like expired meters, no valid parking permit or unauthorized parking.

All other offences will be $50 with an early payment reduction of $15, for things like parking an a bus or handicap zone, parking in an alley or crosswalk, or unauthorized parking on the University of Lethbridge or Lethbridge College campuses.

You’ll also have 10 days to pay a fine instead of seven and are only required to pay from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and not on public holidays.

These changes bring Lethbridge in line with other cities in the province, according to parking coordinator Phillip Berg.

“There haven’t been any changes to the City of Lethbridge parking fines since 1990, so this was really, just brought up to bring Lethbridge up to the level other municipalities are,” he said.

Over the past year, the parking fines have been a point of contention for Lethbridge residents.

The city said this new parking bylaw and regulations will enable and encourage customers to have parking available to them to continue shopping in the downtown core.

The bylaw goes into effect in February 2024.