PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Stay in your lane — that’s the message Philadelphia’s Parking Authority is sending to drivers.
Forty-five bicyclists have been killed in Philadelphia and more than 130 have been injured since 2011, according to Rich Laser, executive director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Which is why beginning Monday, May 1, Philadelphia Parking Authority will expand their ongoing bike lane enforcement to include a designated unit of eight officers that will concentrate exclusively on ticketing vehicles illegally parked in designated bike lanes in Center City, University City and South Philadelphia.
Sarah Clark Stewart, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, says they’ve been fighting to bring the idea to fruition for a decade to increase accountability for the motor vehicles and drivers who are not obeying the law.
Since 2014, Stewart says they’ve issued more than 25,000 tickets for bike lane violations.
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“The staggering number of violations clearly demonstrates the need for a focused enforcement unit to concentrate solely on bike lane violations,” Laser said.
The fine for parking in bike lanes is $51 in most parts of the city. In Center City and University City, it’s $76.