License Plate Reader Pilot

In support of the summer 2024 Peak Hours+ reservation system, Yosemite National Park is piloting license plate readers (LPR) to improve entrance station efficiency and to understand the effects of the reservation system.Yosemite LPR cameras are not connected to any law enforcement or DMV database. Yosemite LPR cameras capture vehicle make, model, color, license plate information, along with date, time, location, and direction of travel.

Yosemite LPR systems do not collect information about people.

At Entrance Stations

In an effort to reduce wait times at entrance stations, LPR cameras capture vehicle information that previously was manually entered. Once the system is fully functional, returning vehicles will be automatically identified as authorized for entry. Approximately 30% of visitors return for a second day and 18% return for a third day. Eliminating the processing time for these vehicles will improve the experience for everyone.

Within the Park

LPR cameras are placed throughout the park to capture vehicle entries and exits within defined zones. This will help the park understand how long visitors use specific areas, parking occupancies, travel times, and overall congestion. This data will help the park adjust reservations numbers to meet the goals of the reservation system.

Proposed LPR camera sites include:

1. Arch Rock Entrance Station
2. Big Oak Flat Entrance Station
3. Tioga Pass Entrance Station
4. South Entrance Station
5. Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station
6. Big Oak Flat Tunnel
7. Wawona Tunnel
8. May Lake Junction on Tioga Road
9. Northside Drive west of Camp 4
10. Southside Drive west of the Chapel
11. El Portal Road near the park boundary
12. Glacier Point Road near Wawona Road
13. Glacier Point Road near Washburn Point
14. Mariposa Grove

We may add, move, or remove LPR cameras as we implement the system. In order to capture entrance station wait times, we will explore LPR camera sites outside park entrance gates such as Fish Camp, Harden Flat and the Saddle Bag Lake area.

LPR Frequently Asked Questions

Yosemite National Park is testing LPR cameras to help reduce wait times at entrance stations and better understand visitor-use patterns. Contacts at entrance stations can range from several seconds to a few minutes. However, many people may not need to interact with a ranger at an entrance station at all. Allowing some vehicles to pass through entrance stations without interacting with a ranger should reduce lines and wait times at entrance stations.

What is License Plate Reader (LPR)?

A license plate reader (LPR) camera takes an image of each car passing by. The license plate state and alphanumeric ID are translated into text, and that text can then be verified against a list of allowed license plates. LPRs also capture the vehicle make, model, and color. LPRs do not capture any information about people.

What information does LPR collect?

The LPR and associated database will record vehicle make, model, color, license plate information, along with date, time, location, and direction of travel. LPRs do not collect information about people.

Will the Yosemite use LPR for law enforcement purposes?

The system is not for law enforcement purposes, and Yosemite LPR cameras are not connected to any law enforcement or DMV database. Yosemite will release to LPR records to law enforcement for the following reasons:

• To provide evidence of a violation, upon request of a law enforcement ranger
• To provide evidence of the presence (or lack of presence) of a vehicle, either for law enforcement purposes or to assist in a search for a missing or at-risk person
• To share vehicle information with other law enforcement agencies when legally authorized or required

How will Yosemite use LPR to decrease entrance station wait times?

Associating vehicles captured by the LPR camera system with a reservation record should allow automatic recognition and sorting authorized vehicles, allowing certain vehicles to pass through an entrance station without interacting with a ranger. This may include employees, residents, vendors, and visitors who have already paid an entrance fee and (if required) gotten a reservation. Vehicles without a plate recognized in the system would still stop at the entrance station.

How will Yosemite use LPR to evaluate and improve the reservation system?

LPR cameras will be placed at locations throughout the park to capture vehicle entries and exits within defined zones. This will help the park understand how long visitors use specific areas, parking occupancies, travel times, and overall.

How long will Yosemite keep this information?

Images captured through the LPR camera system will be retained for six months during system development. Once the system is functioning as intended, image retention will be reduced to 30 days. Vehicle records produced by the LPR system will be retained indefinitely. However, any personally identifiable information (PII) associated with a vehicle record will be removed unless a vehicle requires ongoing special access (e.g., employees, residents, and vendors).

Who has access to the information LPRs collect?

Yosemite staff who manage the program have access to the information that the LPR camera system collects. Statistic produced by the LPR camera system will be more widely available.