LYNN — The city has a new system for keeping tabs on illegal parking around schools.
A new pilot program at the Harrington Elementary School is using two devices called SafetySticks to keep vehicles from parking in front of drop-off and pick-up areas at the school, including the spaces reserved for school buses. Municipal Parking Solutions, the company that creates the SafetySticks, said such illegal parking can create traffic hazards and congestion in the surrounding areas.
The pilot program was originally intended to be used at the Connery Elementary School, where Ward 6 Councilor Fred Hogan said there have been ongoing issues with illegal parking during pick-up and drop-off times.
“People are parking in the bus lanes and the buses can’t get in,” Hogan said. “They’re also parking on crosswalks at the school and kids can’t get across the street.”
The devices were later moved to the Harrington School, where they are better secured by the sidewalk’s concrete.
“It is a pilot program,” Hogan said. “We’re testing it out to see how it goes, see how efficient it is, and see if it works.”
The SafetySticks are less than 4 feet tall and use cameras to capture vehicles’ license plates to seamlessly process violations, which are reviewed by traffic-enforcement personnel who can issue tickets and citations.
According to MPS, the devices, which run on solar power, reduce illegal parking by up to 95% without the need for physical parking enforcement.
The company said that the products are free and operate through a licensing fee.
