DC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS ON PARKING ENFORCEMENT

“The Department of Public Works enforces parking regulations.   DPW issued 1,465,394 parking tickets in FY 2008 (October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008).  During that same time, the District collected $67,311,140 in parking ticket revenues.

“DPW’s most recent license plate recognition system application is Sweepercam, which features a camera mounted on a mechanical street sweeper.  This technology was tested last year when warning tickets were issued to motorists whose vehicles were parked illegally during street sweeping hours.  As of March 30, 2009, DPW began issuing $30 tickets for this violation.

“The following excerpt was taken from the Committee on Public Works and Transportation final budget report:  ‘The District’s Chief Financial Officer has certified that at 75% capacity, Sweeper Cams [sic] would generate approximately 237,500 citations in FY10. Sweeper Cam [sic] fines are $40 (The fine is $30.). DPW testified at the April 8, 2009 hearing estimated revenue generated by the Sweeper Cams [sic] was not calculated into the FY10 budget. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer has certified that 12 cameras, operating at 75% capacity to take into account equipment malfunctions, will yield $7,128,000 in additional unaccounted for additional revenue for the District, yielding net revenue of $6,828,000 when accounting for maintenance costs.’

“Sweepercam was introduced to overcome the sweepers’ inability to clean the streets because of illegally parked vehicles.  The residential signed street sweeping program operates in neighborhoods where at least 80 percent of the residents on three contiguous blocks signed a petition pledging to move their vehicles during sweeping hours.  A parked vehicle actually causes three spaces to be missed because the sweeper needs that much space to bypass the vehicle.  These residents are keeping their commitment by moving their cars.  DPW wants to keep its commitment to keep the streets clean.

“A recent pollutant study (C.C. Johnson & Malhotra 2007), which measured the amounts of various pollutants DPW sweepers clear from District streets, found that along a 10-mile route they remove 100 pounds of oil and grease, on average.

“The cameras are manufactured by Genetec, and the sweepers are manufactured by Elgin.

“DPW already conducts Saturday enforcement of parking meters in highly congested neighborhoods, such as Georgetown, the Convention Center, Verizon Center and Columbia Heights.  The Budget Support Act includes the proposal for citywide parking meters in being effect on Saturdays.  The BSA passed on first reading.   Second reading is scheduled for June 2."