Cars will now be ticketed for parking on street sweeping routes and in bike lanes
Watch where you park, Philly. The Philadelphia Parking Authority may also write you up if you park in an active street sweeper zone.
Starting Monday, drivers who park in bike lanes or along active street sweeping routes in parts of Philadelphia will be more likely to get a ticket thanks to a pair of efforts from the Philadelphia Parking Authority and the Streets Department.
Last month, the Streets Department started the third phase of its street sweeping program in 14 additional areas of the city, including parts of Frankford, Germantown, Point Breeze, and Strawberry Mansion.
The PPA previously issued warnings to vehicles parked on the streets in those areas during specified street cleaning times. But now, the agency is handing out tickets instead.
Parking is restricted during cleaning times on both sides of the street because the cleaning is more effective when the brooms on the machines can reach both curb lines.
“We want to provide the designated areas with a thorough cleaning,” Streets Department commissioner Carlton Williams said. “A full-detailed cleaning cannot be completed if the brooms must maneuver in between vehicles.”
Drivers will be able to track street cleaning progress online at StreetSmartPHL, a web-based map that shows when cleaning has been completed. Fines for blocking a street sweeping route are $31, The Inquirer previously reported.
The areas now affected by street sweeping enforcement are:
Frankford: Bridge Street to Adams Avenue from Griscom Street to Torresdale Avenue
Germantown: Berkley Street to Chelten Avenue from Pulaski Avenue to Wakefield Street
Kensington: Second Street to Kensington Avenue from Tioga Street to Lehigh Avenue
Logan: Godfrey Street to Roosevelt Boulevard from Broad to Fifth Streets
Nicetown: Broad Street to Clarissa Street from Hunting Park Avenue to Windrim Avenue
North Central: Broad to 22nd Streets from Glenwood Avenue to Diamond Street
Paschall: 58th to 70th Streets from Greenway Avenue to Dicks Street
Point Breeze: Christian to McKean Streets from Broad to 24th Streets
Port Richmond: Kensington to Aramingo Avenues from Tioga Street to Lehigh Avenue
South Philly: McKean Street to Oregon Avenue from Fourth Street to Eighth Street
Southwest: Woodland to Kingsessing Avenues from 49th Street to Cemetery Avenue
Strawberry Mansion: Diamond Street to Lehigh Avenue from Sedgley to 33rd Streets
West Fairhill: Fifth to 13th Streets from Glenwood to Susquehanna Avenues
West Philly: Parkside Avenue to Spring Garden Street from 52nd to 40th Streets
Bike lane enforcement
The PPA will also begin ticketing motorists who park in bike lanes starting Monday, with the rollout of its Bicycle Lane Enforcement Unit. As part of that effort, eight enforcement officers will patrol bike lanes in Center City, University City, and South Philadelphia, officials said.
Parking in a bike lane could result in a $76 fine in Center City and University City, and $51 in other areas.
While it’s always been illegal to park in or block a bike lane, and the PPA has given tickets for doing so in the past, the agency did not have a dedicated program. Since 2014, the PPA has issued more than 25,000 tickets for bike lane safety violations. And since 2011, 45 bicyclists have been killed in Philadelphia, and 135 have been injured, the PPA said.
“The staggering number of violations clearly demonstrates the need for a focused enforcement unit to concentrate solely on bike lanes in Center City, University City, and South Philadelphia,” PPA executive director Rich Lazer said.