PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Drivers in Philadelphia who stop in bike lanes are subject to beefed-up fines, thanks to a bill signed by Mayor Cherelle Parker Wednesday afternoon at City Hall.
The bill creates a $125 fine for vehicles stopping in bike lanes in Center City, and $75 in the rest of the city. It's always been illegal, but during the Nutter administration, a deal was made that gave residents a 20-minute grace period to stop in bike lanes. But Parker says it's not safe when cars or delivery trucks block bicycle lanes.
“These vehicles obstructing the bike lanes create dangerous conflicts, forcing vehicles into bicycle lanes, increasing the risk of crashes and compromising safety,” she said.
To accommodate deliveries and dropoffs along Spruce and Pine streets, the city plans to establish loading zones. Kelly Yemen, director of the city’s Office of Multimodal Planning, says surveys are going out to those residents, “to make sure that we are hearing from all the residents on those corridors on where loading zones are needed."
Enforcement will begin next spring when "No stopping" signs replace "No parking" signs. Philadelphia Parking Authority Executive Director Rich Lazer says a new bicycle unit will be on the lookout for violators.
“We really wanted the enforcement folks riding the bikes as well,” he said, “because they are going to see what bicyclists have to put up with every day."