You may notice a new parking enforcement vehicle out on Rochester city streets Thursday, especially if you have three or more unpaid parking tickets.

City Parking Director Sue Olley said the vehicle is equipped with license plate recognition hardware and software that allows it to read license plates and target those that have three or more unpaid parking tickets that are 90 or more days old.

Once those vehicles are identified, Olley said parking enforcement officers will boot them with new “SmartBoots.”

Drivers will need to call the 877 number on their ticket and provide a 24-hour live-operator with a credit card number or certified payment to get a code to unlock the boot. Olley said driver can also pay cash at the Bureau of Parking.

Some residents think it’s a great idea.

"I think it would be great and we certainly need the revenue,” Marlene Gordon said.

"I know they've used it in Philadelphia because my son went to school there and it sure cleaned up parking in his neighborhood," Nancy Kleintop said.

Olley said the SmartBoots must be returned to Bureau of Parking or drivers will get fined $25 a day up to $500 which is the cost of the boot.

Olley said 17,000 cars are eligible for the boot, which adds up to more than $3 million in unpaid parking fines.

City of Rochester