How Austin is trying to crack down on parking in bike lanes

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin has cited more than 300 people for illegally parking in bike lanes since last August, as city transportation leaders are working to crack down on the violation.

Joseph Al-hajeri serves as the parking enterprise manager with the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department. He presented the data to the Austin Mobility Committee Thursday afternoon amid conversations on how to better curtail the illegal parking practices.

He said staff tasked several transportation mobility service officers last August with the responsibility of traveling around the city by bike and issuing citations for illegally parked vehicles. Since, Al-hajeri said 323 citations have been issued and nine vehicles were towed as a result.

Right now, city staff are pursuing possible city code changes and ordinance amendments to better address limited access to bike lanes due to illegal parking. One option being pursued is requiring posted signage that outlines parking in a bike lane as a citable offense.

Another option involves adjustments to Austin's commercial vehicle loading permit program. It would ideally expand the program citywide and would denote that commercial vehicles should load from a general vehicle travel lane as opposed to a bike lane. That would only be applicable if there are two or more general travel lanes in each direction, as to not reduce access to motorists.

Austin's Bicycle Advisory Council and Urban Transportation Commission members had previously recommended additional solutions, such as using photo evidence to enforce and cite illegal parking violations. However, Al-hajeri said state law doesn't allow for that form of photo-based enforcement for citations.