Bike Lane Bounty to Curb Illegally Parked Vehicles

By Scott Green | 30th June 2022 |

A separated cycleway in Austin. For other cycleways in the Texas capital, the Urban Transportation Commission has introduced a bike lane bounty, officially entitled a Bike Blockage Program, encouraging and rewarding residents to reporting vehicles illegally blocking cycling lanes.

Austin, Texas

Residents in the Texas capital of Austin are being invited to report vehicles illegally blocking bike lanes, to receive a share of the subsequent fine.

A ‘bike lane bounty’ was last month unanimously endorsed by the city’s Urban Transportation Commission to help the city enforce laws on blocking cycling lanes.

According to a report in the Austin Monitor newspaper, the program is inspired by a similar initiative in New Yorks and enables residents to use mobile app to provide photographic evidence of cars obstructing bike lanes.

The person reporting the infraction then receives 25% of the revenue collected by the city for the citation.

The city has a similar program using citizens trained by police to find and cite cars illegally parked in accessible parking spaces.

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Should a similar initiative be introduced in Australian cities?