Editorial: Bike tagging a good start

The city’s campaign to get cyclists to observe parking rules is welcome as more cyclists ride downtown.

The city of Lawrence is taking the right approach to bicycle parking.

The city began tagging illegally parked bicycles last week with fliers that explain the appropriate parking spaces for bicycles in the city. Bicycles can’t be locked to trees, light posts, fire hydrants and traffic signs, or parked in a way that obstructs the sidewalk, according to city ordinance. Bikes can be locked to freestanding parking meters only if they aren’t in front of parking stalls reserved for those with disabilities. Meters that are also light posts — most of the meters along Massachusetts Street — cannot be used for bike parking.

More and more residents are using bikes for transportation, and the first day of the tagging program, city workers identified 15 bikes parked incorrectly.

The city’s tagging process is meant to be educational and informative, not punitive. That’s the right approach. The tags provide information about the city’s bike parking rules and a map showing legal bike parking areas downtown, including bike racks, bike corrals, and parking meters with ovals for bicycle parking. There are some 400 such bike parking spaces downtown, with 30 more spaces to be added on Massachusetts and New Hampshire this summer thanks to funding from a LiveWell Community Wellness Grant.

The fliers do warn bicycle owners that illegally parked bicycles can be removed and held by police.

City officials expect demand to increase for secure bicycle parking, which allows use of a U-lock as opposed to a coil or chain that can be cut. Putting bike corrals along the roadway is the best way to meet that demand, said senior transportation planner Jessica Mortinger.

Putting corrals on the roadway is a reminder that bikes are meant to be used on the road. City ordinance bans bikes on city sidewalks.

Encouraging the use of bikes throughout the city is healthy and environment tally friendly. But as cycling continues to grow, it is the city’s responsibility to make sure cyclists are properly sharing the city’s roadways with vehicles and pedestrians. Tagging illegally parked bikes with informational fliers is a smart way to do that.