The City of Edmonton has freed up space for abandoned and towed vehicles in an effort to keep up with growing numbers.
Approximately 150 additional vehicle spots became available at the Edmonton police seized vehicle impound lot on June 17. The space, a former Edmonton Transit Service park-and-ride site, was a construction laydown area for the Yellowhead Trail Construction project.
“We’re systematically working to clear the backlog,” said Alan Le, Edmonton’s parking enforcement superintended. “We understand the frustration Edmontonians have experienced and truly appreciate their patience.”
In a news release, the city says the number of abandoned vehicles waiting to be towed hit a peak of 682 on June 17. That number has dropped to 181 as of July 7.
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“We understand how frustrating it can be when abandoned vehicles remain in neighbourhoods for extended periods of time,” said Cindy Kieu with the Edmonton Police Service.
“The Edmonton Police Service is working closely with the City of Edmonton to improve the timely removal of vehicles and address capacity challenges. We remain committed to prioritizing public safety and investigative needs.”
According to both the city and police, a vehicle is considered legally abandoned if left on public property for more than 72 consecutive hours. A phased approach allows the daily movement of 10 to 15 vehicles to the lot, while ticketing encourages owners to move their vehicles.
City resources and towing capacity for abandoned vehicles in residential areas has felt increased pressure from rising demand over the years. The city hopes the added spots will help ease those pressures and resident’s concerns.
“We obviously still have to clear up the ones that are still waiting to be towed, but once we clear that up, by the end of the summer we should be able to get to all the new abandoned auto complaints much sooner and much quicker,” Le said.
Crews will continue to prioritize the immediate removal of vehicles that pose safety risks, such as those obstructing traffic flow or emergency access.
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