A city of Houston ordinance now prohibits parking in dedicated bicycle lanes. So far, 20 tickets have already been issued for violations.
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Maria Irshad, the assistant director for ParkHouston, the agency responsible for on-street parking in the city of Houston, says it's time to start thinking about bike safety in a new way.
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"This is a culture shift in the way we go about our transportation, getting people to understand that it's not even OK for people to park in the bicycle lane for five minutes," she said. "You are putting someone in danger, and you're forcing them to go into traffic. That is a safety issue."
ParkHouston does want to educate drivers, so first-time violators can take a bicycle-friendly driver safety course to avoid the fine.
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For more information about parking in bicycle lanes, check out the city's information page on the new ordinance.
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