CITYWIDE — A contested bill sponsored by Lincoln Restler that would have allowed New Yorkers to earn bounties for reporting cars illegally parked in bike lanes is now moving forward in the City Council – but without its star feature, reports Streetsblog. The council’s updated draft of the bill omits the proposed $25 bounty, but would allow any New Yorker who takes a short course on appropriate reporting to file an official complaint, using a mobile app, for unattended vehicles left in bus or bike lanes virtually anywhere in the city following a phased-in enforcement period.
While commenters were angered by the loss of the potential reward, activist groups did not feel it was a major problem: “I know some will be disappointed by removal of the ‘bounty,’ but that’s actually something that would have provided constant political ammunition for the drive-or-die and parking corruption crowds,” Bike New York Advocacy Director Jon Orcutt told Streetsblog, praising the “fantastic news.”
