District officials are cracking down on drivers who block bike lanes.
The D.C. Department of Public Works will fine drivers $65 for taking up bike lane space beginning later this month, ABC7 reported Friday. Violation tickets will be mailed to the owners of vehicles found blocking lanes, according to ABC7.
“Mailing of tickets will allow parking control officers to issue tickets to vehicles that drive away, which is a common occurrence,” department spokesman Reggie Sanders told ABC7.
Mayor Muriel Bowser aims to eliminate motorist and pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries by 2024 as part of her Vision Zero initiative. Traffic deaths, which include bicyclist, pedestrian and scooter rider fatalities, have increased annually between 2015 and 2018 but went down last year in D.C.
The number of protected bike lines will soon grow in Foggy Bottom. The District Department of Transportation selected a route in September for a new protected bike lane that will run through Foggy Bottom along 20th and 21st streets.
A third-party mobile phone app, which developers plan to launch this month, will also allow residents to report common traffic violations.