Bicycle commuters are raising complaints about vehicles obstructing Chicago’s protected bike lanes. NBC 5 Investigates biked across the Loop for 30 minutes and counted multiple blocked lanes.
Chicago's bicyclists are fighting back against motorists who drive, stop or park their vehicles in designated bike lanes.
As NBC 5 Investigates first reported last week, bicyclists are posting photos of offending automobiles on the website Bike Lane Uprising. And Chicago police are looking for ways to use the website to clear the lanes. [[488547441, C]]
In Chicago, it's illegal to park, idle or drive in the more than 200 miles of dedicated bike lanes. Violators can be issued $150 tickets and are at risk of having their vehicle towed.
More than 1,800 obstructions in Chicago were reported to Bike Lane Uprising from Sept. 1, through June 29.
"Maybe some of those people don’t know where the bike lane is. Maybe it’s not clearly marked," website founder Christina Whitehouse told NBC 5 Investigates in an earlier interview, adding, "From another standpoint, maybe we’re defining areas that could use some better design and infrastructure."
According to the website, contributors to the database remain anonymous. [[488572381, C]]
Chicago Finance Department spokeswoman Kristen Cabanban says officials have met with people from Bike Lane Uprising, and are exploring ways to use the site's data in enforcement efforts.
