Bike lane madness

[skhill]

Excuse me while I vent for a second.... My church choir is having its end of summer potluck this weekend, out at the choirmaster's house. He has the luck (whether it's good or bad depends on your point of view) to live on a road with bike lanes. And so the map and directions we got included the very clear instruction to park in the bike lane!!!!!

Of course, my gut reaction was that you can't do that-- but then, our city ordinances tend to not make a lot of sense sometimes, so I thought I'd better check it out. Official word from the city's bike/pedestrian coordinator is that there is no ordinance specifically banning blocking bike lanes, but parking is prohibited in traffic lanes, and bike lanes are traffic lanes. Not that it's much enforced....

So, what to do? I did send an email off to our host, politely pointing out that bike lanes are not appropriate or legal places to park a car.... haven't heard back from him yet. BTW, if I go to this thing, I'm doing it on my bike. And I'm more than a bit tempted to call the cops if I find my lane blocked....

There is good news, though-- the city has revisions to the bike lane ordinances in the works that will make it explicit that parking is not allowed there, and also plans to do some more public outreach on these issues.

I've checked out the law, and passed on the facts to the person in question. Is there anything else I can do? Short of calling the cops and getting everyone parked illegally cited, that is....

[SadieKate]

At the risk of offending others, "do unto others . . . ", etc.

Parking there would not be a good community relations move. Suggest they be good citizens which means not blocking ANY traffic of any kind.

[MartianDestiny]

If the host doesn't do so in a timely manner I would consider sending a polite email out to the whole group. Something along the lines of "I understand that it is sometimes difficult to find appropriate parking and that many times parking can be inconvenient to your ultimate destination; however, as a cyclist and your friend I would like to point out that parking in a bike lane endangers cyclists and is illegal. I would encourage you to seek out other, more appropriate places to park while attending the potluck. Thank you."

I don't think I'd go so far as to call the cops, especially since these are friends and friends from church at that and the law is less than clear at the moment. I may be tempted, and I'd be upset/disappointed in the host if she did nothing, but in the end it's not worth the fallout and probably not the right thing to do either.

[lph]

what she said. Polite information, and leave it at that.

[kenyonchris]

Of course, my gut reaction was that you can't do that-- but then, our city ordinances tend to not make a lot of sense sometimes, so I thought I'd better check it out. Official word from the city's bike/pedestrian coordinator is that there is no ordinance specifically banning blocking bike lanes, but parking is prohibited in traffic lanes, and bike lanes are traffic lanes. Not that it's much enforced....

So, what to do? I did send an email off to our host, politely pointing out that bike lanes are not appropriate or legal places to park a car.... haven't heard back from him yet. BTW, if I go to this thing, I'm doing it on my bike. And I'm more than a bit tempted to call the cops if I find my lane blocked....

There is good news, though-- the city has revisions to the bike lane ordinances in the works that will make it explicit that parking is not allowed there, and also plans to do some more public outreach on these issues.

I've checked out the law, and passed on the facts to the person in question. Is there anything else I can do? Short of calling the cops and getting everyone parked illegally cited, that is....

First of all, you can't *get* them cited. If an officer responds and chooses to do so, then they will be cited. Sorry! You don't know how many times in my day I hear, "I want him cited!" Uh, thanks for your input.

Cities and states are different in regards to parking on the side of a roadway. Many city ordinances say that a shoulder (and some cities define bike lanes as shoulders, not lanes of traffic) can be parked on as long as the vehicle is parked in the correct direction, the correct fashion (less than 18 inches from the curb), not within 15 feet of a stop sign or blocking a fire hydrant or in a no parking POSTED zone....particularly in a residential neighborhood.

You said that there was no specific city ordinance about parking in a bike lane. More than likely, the city official was not qualified to speak to whether the bike lane itself is, actually a lane of traffic or a shoulder. On some streets (depending on if it is a roadway or highway, and highway is not necessarily an interstate) it is permitted as long as it is not BLOCKING the roadway.

BLocked bike lanes are a pain, just like my pain in the backside neighbor who has a teenage drinking party (sponsored by the adults) every Saturday night and the kids park all up and down my street. It is very irritating, but, unless the manner in which they parked is illegal, the act of parking there is not. However (and I know it is not very neighborly, but he is a BAD, BAD guy...other stuff besides providing alcohol to minors...), membership has its perks....I cite or red tag every illegally parked vehicle there (as well as taking every occupant out of that house to jail as often as possible).

I would think (and this is only because it is what is true in the cities I am familiar with) that parking in the bike lane is probably legal, if inconvenient. But if you are willing to be the bad guy (as I am with my criminal neighbor), you can call and report vehicles that are parked improperly or illegally within the paramenters of the traffic code and city ordinances of your city/state. Hopefully you will get a cop who will either track down the owners and make them move (if he has time and is so inclined) or stroke em a ticket, or at least put a sticky, sticky, red tag on it.

Whatever you do, you can't post no parking signs or "patrol" it in any fashion. THAT is illegal.