Barbecue cooks and rib enthusiasts are not the only people who will be busy this weekend at Port Moody RibFest.
The influx of cars into the area around Rocky Point Park means PoMo bylaw enforcement officers will be active issuing tickets to drivers who park in prohibited places or overstay their allotted time.
"Parking at Rocky Point Park is extremely limited when there are special events happening," said Patrik Kolby, the city's senior bylaw enforcement officer. "We encourage members of the public to leave their car at home and walk, bike or take public transit instead."
According to bylaw data available on the city's website, a typical Saturday or Sunday sees 13 tickets issued per day. But during RibFest, that total more than triples to an average of 46.6 parking bylaw tickets per day.
In fact, some of the highest number of tickets written in one day over the last decade occurred during RibFest, with 73 issued July 23, 2016 and another 73 issued on the same date in 2017.
"Parking tickets issued during RibFest... are directly related to the increased number of patrons visiting the park on those days," Kolby told The Tri-City News. "The number of tickets issued on any given day can vary widely due to factors such as weather, time of year, events at the park and events in neighbouring communities or out on the water."
Kolby said typically, three bylaw enforcement officers work around Rocky Point during the summer months, patrolling from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
There's an alternative to dealing with traffic and risking a ticket, though. During RibFest, the city is offering a free event shuttle, which will loop from Knowle Street (in front of the Port Moody recreation complex) to Rocky Point. The shuttle will run approximately every 30 minutes starting at 10:45 a.m. July 19, 20 and 21.
