The D.C. Department of Public Works (DPW) has announced that drivers caught improperly parking, stopping, or leaving a bike lane will face a ticket of $65 as of February 28, 2020.
The move came as part of the next phase of the District’s bike lane enforcement program.
In a statement last November, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said 26 new parking enforcement officers would be mobilized in order to bolster the program, bringing the total number of the team members to almost 300.
The parking enforcement officers will take photos of violators and tickets will be issued based on them. Such photos of those parking or driving in bike lanes have been taken since November 2019. These individuals then receive warning notes in the mail including that image.
Starting from February 28, a $65 ticket will be sent along with the photo documenting the bike lane violation. Those who refuse to pay the fine can appeal it with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
“The District’s nearly 90 miles of bike lanes help to expand transportation options and boost connectivity to the city’s vibrant neighborhoods and commercial corridors,” DPW Director Chris Geldart was quoted as saying in the agency’s press release.
“As we enter into the next stage of our bike lane enforcement program, the issuance of tickets will incentivize motorists to help keep lanes clear of obstructions so that bikers can safely share the road with vehicles.”
DPW’s bike lane enforcement program aims at supporting Mayor Bowser’s Vision Zero initiative, whose goal is to end all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2024.