Santa Monica has become the first city in California to use technology to cite drivers for blocking or parking in bike lanes.
A driver who blocks or parks in a bike lane will get a warning notice until July 1. After that, it’s a $93 fine. KNX News’ Jon Baird reported that tickets are produced by cameras mounted on parking enforcement vehicles, which can detect and record the violations.
Some residents told Baird they’re happy with it.
“We like having a bike lane that's safe, right?” one woman said. “So it makes us feel like, yeah, that we have room.”
One man said he was nearly hit by a car while he was biking.
“I had somebody cut me off, ended up having to sort out to the outside, and almost got ran over by a Tesla,” he said.
But others say they’re skeptical about the program.
“I see a trend towards putting cameras everywhere and just tickets all over the place, and I don't think that's a good trend,” one man said.
Another man called it “stupid.”
“It’s nonsensical,” he added.
In 2024, city officials launched a pilot program, and in just over a six-week period, they recorded 1,700 bike lane violations
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