More Tickets To Cars In Bikes Lanes
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Over the past few years, the Philadelphia Parking Authority has been cracking down on cars parked in city bike lanes, with more than 4,500 tickets issued to vehicles this year alone.
"This more of a symptom of the problem, rather than a solution to the problem," said Randy LoBasso with the Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition, which partnered with the PPA to help identify problem areas.
Four years ago, both the coalition and the PPA asked people to first, take pictures where they saw vehicles parked or idling in bike lanes, and then, to send them in. Using the data, they have been able to track which streets were worst, and target those areas.
"In 2014, we found that it was just 1,091 tickets were written. By 2015, that had gone up over 100%," said LoBasso.
And it's only increased each year, up 5 percent this year.
"By 2016, you found that over two years ticketing increased 127% for people parked in bike lanes all over the city," he said.
Pine & Spruce streets have had the most offenders.
"The thing that will ultimately solve this problem is if you create a true divide between bike lanes and motor vehicle lanes," said LoBasso.
This year, the city received grant money to install protected, or barrier, bike lanes.
