BALTIMORE — The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) is cracking down on four wheels parking in two wheel lanes.
Dave Grund rides his bike every day. He works for a company called Magic Messenger, a delivery service in the city, but the path between each job can be taken off course.
"You have to like hop up on the curb or hop up onto oncoming or mainstream traffic,” said Grund.
It's what he faces when cars park in the bike lanes. He says working 10 to 12 hours a day, it also becomes an inconvenience to get the job done.
Recently, he has resorted to other lanes on the road.
"I generally just stick to being in traffic, because to me, traffic is far safer and if I can stay with traffic I’m fine. Actually, I find the bike lane to be far more dangerous,” said Grund.
The Baltimore City DOT has taken notice of these blockades. On the social media platform X, formally known as Twitter, a group called ‘Baltimore Drivers’, is keeping an eye out.
When cars park in the bike lane, a picture, date and license plate number is posted on the page. Baltimore DOT is not too far behind in giving it a second recognition by reposting it to their page.
Now, Grund said he understands certain times call for certain measures.
"I can understand it if it's an emergency and I also can understand if someone is moving. Cause I also see people moving out of their apartment and the bike lane is really the only option they have,” said Grund.
But he said just parking in the lane for convenience is an extra layer of stress for others.
"You have to pay attention to them getting out of their vehicle, doors opening up. And if they're in the bike lane they're throwing their door right into traffic or they're throwing their door right into the curb, so you have no place to go,” said Grund.
Officials from Baltimore City DOT said Traffic Enforcement Officers have issued 52 bike parking tickets over the past four weeks. Priced at $252, they said behavior is changing as more people learn of these no park lanes.
