New Yorkers may get paid for snitching on people who park in bike lanes

A New York City Council member has proposed a bill that would allow locals to report people who park in bike lanes and get cash in return, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The idea is that New Yorkers can submit photos of someone who is committing a parking violation, such as parking in a bike lane, or cars that block building entrances or exits of schools, sidewalks or crosswalks.

According to the bill, if someone submits information of an offence, the Department of Transportation would review it and once verified, the person would receive 25 per cent of the $175 ticket.

The Council member Lincoln Restler, who is himself a cyclist, believes the bill is important for the city as the police have not been enforcing traffic rules enough. According to the Mayor’s Management Report, traffic citations issued in the city increased from 2021 to 2022, but are still 50 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.

I feel the safety risks every day that are associated with illegal parking,” Restler said. “It’s even more problematic for the parent pushing a stroller or a person in a wheelchair who can’t get by on the sidewalk because of illegally parked cars. That’s why we are creating, in this legislation, a new structure to bring real accountability.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, commented that the agency is currently monitoring the legislation.

The bill is modeled after the Citizens Air Complaint Program. That program allows New York City residents to call in tickets for idling commercial vehicles for the same 25 per cent payment.