Cars taking over pedestrian Sparks Street

Sparks Street Mall officials have asked city by-law officers to start ticketing unauthorized vehicles for driving on what is supposed to be a pedestrian road.

Fifty years ago then-mayor Charlotte Whitton unveiled Sparks Street as North America's first pedestrian mall.

Vehicles making deliveries can drive on Sparks during windows in the morning from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

But Thursday morning the CBC's Cory O'Kelly spotted dozens of vehicles on Sparks making stops for coffee, cutting through traffic or dropping people off at work.

Bicycles are also not permitted to ride through Sparks, but many cyclists take advantage of the open space to cut through downtown.

Les Gagne, the executive director of the Sparks Street Mall, said he's asked for more enforcement of the rules.

"We're looking to put in additional signage at the different entrances and were obviously going to enforce it as much as we can," said Gagne.