Calgary resident fights street‑sweeping ticket, vows to see ‘end to this bylaw’
Posted Jun 26, 2026 4:53 pm.
Last Updated Jun 28, 2026 12:15 pm.
A Calgary man is pushing back against the city’s street‑sweeping rules after receiving a ticket he says he shouldn’t have been given.
So far this year, the City of Calgary has issued nearly 39,000 tickets to drivers who left their vehicles parked where street‑sweeping signs were posted. Last year, more than 34,000 tickets were handed out.
One of the latest belongs to Bridlewood resident Brad McDougall, who says he followed the rules as best he could but still ended up with an $80 fine. He now calls the system a cash grab and is collecting signatures from neighbours who were also ticketed.
McDougall says he understood the requirement to move vehicles off the street until 4 p.m. when sweepers were scheduled. But when sweeping day arrived, he says he had limited options.
“My wife’s car is in the garage, the other half of the garage is my little retirement workshop,” says McDougall. “I did move my truck to the back, and my daughter, who was staying with us, I put her car on the front lawn.
“The same day is blue bin/green bin day, everybody has their bins out, and it’s kind of a tight fit through there.”
He watched the sweepers pass through his street and then returned his vehicle to the road once they were gone. That’s when he received the ticket.
Parking bans run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the city warns drivers not to return to the street even if sweeping appears complete. McDougall argues that expecting residents to find parking for eight hours is unrealistic.
“You have nowhere that you can take your car to park it for eight hours. Am I going to go to the local supermarket to park it there? They aren’t going to like that,” he says.
Ward councillor Dan McLean says the rules are the rules, but acknowledges the concerns. He says he will look into whether there is room for flexibility, including adjusting trash‑pickup schedules or lowering fines.
“I get it, I’d be very upset as well,” McLean says. “The city’s reasoning is that sweepers often come back more than once, and that’s why you have to wait until 4 p.m.”
McDougall says his frustration grew when he learned sweepers had already finished when he received his ticket.
“I don’t care what kind of tactics the city uses, that’s going to drive me into bankruptcy. I’m going to see an end to this bylaw,” he says.
The city says it recognizes that parking can be difficult during sweeping, especially when waste and recycling pickup happen on the same day. It says efforts are made to coordinate services, but overlaps may still occur.
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