Chicago cracks down on violators of bike lane rules

CHICAGO - The Chicago City Council has passed an enforcement ordinance aimed at keeping bikers safe on the road.

Chicago is cracking down on anyone violating bike lane rules, with bigger tickets and wider surveillance.

Under the approved ordinance, tickets for blocking bike lanes will go up from $150 to $250.

The number of city departments that can enforce bike lane violations will grow.

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The Chicago Department of Transportation will revoke service permits of anyone who blocks bike lanes, and the Department of Finance will come up with a plan to enforce bike lane parking rules with automated cameras.

"This is our first step. Our next step is making sure these citations actually get issued," said Ald. Daniel La Spata.

The aldermen who supported this say it’s a first step in multiple infrastructure measures to make the roads safer for everyone. They cited an uptick in the number of people - especially children - being injured or killed while biking across the city in the past year.