PPA will start cracking down on parking in bike lanes next week

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philadelphia Parking Authority will start cracking down on parking in bike lanes starting on Monday.

The head of the PPA detailed the new enforcement effort at a news conference Thursday morning.

"Bicyclists are an integral part of Philadelphia's transportation ecosystem. Since 2011, 45 bicyclists have been killed and over 135 have been injured. We must do all we can to protect our bicyclists and provide them safe access to city streets," said PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer.

Nicole Brunet has been dodging the statistics on her way to work every day.

"Every single day, multiple times a day. I ride the Spruce Street bike lane to get home from work and it is a shock when there's not a car in the bike lane," said Brunet .

A regular team of eight officers will patrol Center City, University City, and South Philadelphia.

Since 2014, the PPA has written over 25,000 tickets for bike lane violations, a number the agency calls staggering.

"Our goal is to improve public safety and enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods by encouraging compliance with bike lane regulations and keeping our bike lanes clear and free of parked vehicles," said Lazer.

You could face a fine if you're caught in the bike lane.

Officials say the top two areas where the PPA is seeing the most incidents are on Pine and Spruce streets.

Lazer says he hopes to expand the program down the road.