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Brookline Police coming down on drivers who park in bike lanes

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Police in Brookline are cracking down on drivers who double park in bike lanes. Bicyclists say they hope the tickets will remind drivers their parking decisions could jeopardize their safety.

"It's good when they pay attention and it's terrifying when they don't, you always have to keep your head about you biking around the city," said Chad Rosner, a cyclist.

Rosner says sharing the road with cars during his daily commute can be challenging.

"As long as I'm paying attention it’s okay usually," he said. "But I've seen situations get pretty hairy. If it's a lot of bikers, a lot of double-parked cars, that could easily result with someone getting run over or a major accident."

Police in Brookline are hoping to eliminate those potential hairy situations that Rosner talks about by cracking down on drivers who park in bike lanes.

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"People just seem to be thinking they're actually double parking, but they're not, they're actually obstructing the lane," said Lt. Phillip Harrington, a Brookline Police officer.

Police tell Boston 25 News that drivers often put on their hazards and park in the middle of the bike lanes for a brief time, but that actually forces cyclists into traffic. Many say those moments can be terrifying

"I've seen cars swerve out of the way into oncoming traffic to avoid a biker who's avoiding a double-parked car," Rosner.

Police writing more than a dozen tickets since amping up the enforcement this week; the fine is $50 for those who break the law.

Cyclist Matt Fien hopes the ticketing will remind drivers why those lanes are there in the first place

"I think they tend to drop people off there and they use it as their drop-off lane," he said. "Maybe it will send a signal [that] there’s a little bit of a price to pay for it."