A proposed state bill would permit New York City’s transportation department to install up to 50 cameras that would monitor bike lane violations, with drivers that block bike lanes facing a $50 fine.

“Drivers entering bike lanes are breaking the law, even if they have their blinkers on while dashing into a store to drop off a package or grab a coffee. But they’re unlikely to be cited by police, both because the infraction is usually brief and because officers seldom prioritize bike lane enforcement.” Even worse, police cars can often be seen blocking bike lanes themselves.
Reporting for Bloomberg CityLab, David Zipper describes a New York state bill that seeks to address this issue by deploying cameras that record bike lane violations. “The bill would give the city’s transportation department the green light to install up to 50 such bike lane cameras, with violators mailed $50 fines.”
Unlike a similar law passed in June that allows English towns to use bike lane cameras (London has announced it will install camera-based bike lane enforcement), the New York bill doesn’t apply to painted bike lanes that are not already semi-protected by flexible delineators or other physical infrastructure.
Of course, this effort still falls short of fully protecting people on bikes. “The obvious way to protect bike lanes is, literally, to protect them — with hard infrastructure that physically prevents motor vehicles from invading cyclists’ space.” As Zipper notes, “Research shows that protected lanes offer a powerful way to boost street safety — and that fear of a collision (especially among women) may be the single greatest obstacle preventing more people from using a uniquely healthy, climate-friendly, and space-efficient means of transport.”
FULL STORY: A New Tool in the Battle to Keep the Bike Lane Clear

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule
The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.
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