Drivers who block bicycle lanes in Maryland’s Montgomery County face a new fine.
Montgomery County Councilman Evan Glass says under this new legislation, if you park or just stop your car in a designated bike lane, you can be fined $60.
鈥淥ur dedicated bike lanes, our safety infrastructure … can only work if people can actually use them safely,鈥� he said.
Glass pointed out there鈥檚 evidence that stronger enforcement measures are needed. “In the first nine months of this year, there have been 115 cyclist-involved crashes.鈥�
Glass said six of those crashes involved serious injuries and in one case a person died.
The was introduced by Glass and co-sponsored by Council members Natali Fani-Gonz谩lez, Andrew Friedson and Dawn Luedtke.
Peter Gray, Maryland organizer with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, said in a : 鈥淚t makes perfect sense to prohibit cars and trucks from blocking the use of those bike lanes, even for short periods of time. Blocked bike lanes force cyclists to move into car traffic lanes, thus negating the very purpose of those bike lanes, which is to make it safer for all non-car users to travel on those roads.鈥�
School safety advocates like Melissa Regan, co-chair of MCCPTA Safe Routes to Schools, are also applauding the plan.
鈥淧rotected bike lanes also means that students have safer routes when cycling to and from school,鈥� she said in the release.
The legislation brings Montgomery County into alignment with other regional jurisdictions that already prohibit parking in bikeways, including D.C., Rockville and Howard County.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
漏 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
