PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Council passed a bill Thursday that would impose fines for blocking a bike lane with a car.
Parking in bike lanes is already illegal but there’s been an accommodation for residents of some streets to pull over for up to 20 minutes to unload groceries or kids.
After the July death of Dr. Barbara Friedes in a bike lane, however, Council President Kenyatta Johnson sponsored the “Get Out the Bike Lane” bill to beef up protections for cyclists. It generated a lot of conflicting testimony before Thursday’s vote.
Will Tung recounted his experience of getting hit as a pedestrian in a bike lane while testifying in support of the bill.
“Owning a car does not entitle you to drive and park however you want,” Tung said. “As a society, we have an obligation to treat each other with compassion.”
Gail Hearn of Society Hill dismissed the danger stopped cars present to cyclists.
“Swerving into moving traffic can be avoided if the cyclist stops and waits a minute until there is no traffic,” Hearn said.
The bill passed unanimously. Johnson said council would work with residents to establish loading zones but safety was the priority.
“We’ve seen time after time individuals who are bicyclists even losing their lives to individuals driving and speeding,” Johnson said.
Mayor Cherelle Parker is expected to sign the bill. Philadelphia Parking Authority has a dedicated bike lane enforcement unit that will be writing tickets of up to $125 for violations.
“This bill gets to the heart of a crucial issue in Philly,” said cyclist Louis Bartholomew. “Is the ability to park a car in a bike lane at any time more important than saving the lives of Philadelphians?”