Chief's Community Update - April 22, 2026

Last night, the East Palo Alto City Council approved updates to the City’s parking citation fee schedule, and these changes are now in effect. I want to take a moment to share what this means for our community and why these updates matter.

Parking regulations exist to keep our streets safe, accessible, and functional for everyone. Over the past several years, our officers have seen recurring issues, particularly with street‑sweeping violations, commercial and oversized vehicles, and other problem areas where low fines have not been an effective deterrent. As noted in the staff report, “when fines are too low, violators sometimes treat the citation cost as an acceptable alternative to compliance.”

The newly adopted fee schedule brings East Palo Alto into alignment with neighboring cities in San Mateo County and supports more consistent enforcement across the region. Several of our previous fines were significantly lower than those in surrounding jurisdictions. Updating them helps ensure fairness, improves compliance, and addresses long‑standing community concerns.

Key adjustments include increases for:

Street‑sweeping violations

Commercial vehicle parking over one hour

Oversized vehicles and trailers

Gridlock violations 

Several lower‑tier violations such as parking in a crosswalk or no‑parking zones.

These changes are not about generating revenue.  They are about improving safety, reducing repeat offenses, and supporting the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

Our department will begin enforcing the updated fines immediately. 

The updated parking fine schedule can be accessed at https://www.cityofepa.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/police_department/page/22266/2026_-_parking_fine_increase_.pdf

Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping East Palo Alto safe, clean, and accessible for all.

Chief Jeff Liu

East Palo Alto Police Department