The Manager's report back on enforcement of the Bike Lane Bill to keep our bicycle infrastructure free and unobstructed

Increased enforcement:

Officers are conducting proactive enforcement on a regular basis and calling off for 86BL for bicycle lane enforcement. The department made this a point of emphasis in 2017 with officers conducting 1549 directed patrols (86 BL) that year. This year through the end of November officers have conducted 1324 directed patrols.

Recently a directive went out from the leadership of the department for officers to take action whenever they encounter a vehicle in a bicycle lane or otherwise interfering with bicycle infrastructure. Officers currently in their Field Training Program have had this emphasized as a priority area of enforcement and will receive two hours of classroom training during their field training period.

Enforcement data:

Enforcement is being conducted in two ways - utilizing the City of Cambridge Traffic and Parking Regulations - violation B1 - Obstructing a Bicycle Lane ($50 fine) and via the new state law - MGL ch. 89 S. 4D which took effect in 2017. In consultation with Traffic, Parking and Transportation, we determined that the primary enforcement method would be utilizing the City of Cambridge B1 violation. This violation is a "stopping violation" which allows enforcement the moment a vehicle occupies a marked bicycle lane.

The state law wording is "stand or park" in a bicycle lane which would seem to permit temporary stopping. We are asking officers to utilize the state law instead of the city parking violation where it may have more impact on gaining compliance. Many operators of commercial vehicles or TNC ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO 125 SIXTH STREET, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02142 vehicles have a level of tolerance for receiving parking tickets as they are attached to the registration and not the operator.

Issuing a state motor vehicle citation is attached to the operator's driving history. Enforcement via the City's parking violation can be conducted by both police officers and parking control officers (PCO's) working for Traffic Parking and Transportation. Some recent enforcement data shows the following:

April - June 2018: (3 months)

Parking tickets for blocked bicycle lane: 291 Motor vehicle citations (ch. 89 s. 4D):

July - September 2018: (3 months)

Parking tickets for blocked bicycle lane: 286 130 Motor vehicle citations (ch. 89 s. 4D):

October - December 2018: (2 months)

Parking tickets for blocked bicycle lane: 180 Motor vehicle citation (ch. 89 s. 4D) 47 In September of 2018, the Department deployed full-time officers to both Central and Harvard Squares; both areas are known as high bike lane infraction zones. While problems persist, this deployment alone is believed to have curtailed bike lane infractions. Additionally, the Traffic Enforcement Unit has increased its presence in other problem locations throughout the city (Inman Sq., Porter Sq., etc.).

It is our hope that strategic deployment along with increased, more punitive enforcement will result in fewer bike lane infractions and correlate into fewer citations in the long-term. The Police Department, in conjunction with the Traffic, Parking and Transportation, will continue to monitor locations, providing both day and night enforcement, and will review the data collected to discover trends and identify areas requiring adjustments. I hope you find this response satisfactory to the City Council Order.

If there are any additional questions, information needed or concerns regarding this matter, please let me know. We look forward to identifying ways in which the Department can better serve our community. Sincerely,

Brained Band

Branville G. Bard, Jr.

Police Commissioner

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