Philadelphia, PA Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Chapter 12-900's parking rules, enforced citywide by the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), added the bike-lane clause on November 13, 2024 by Bill No. 240657, alongside a companion ban added the same day by Bill No. 240749 on double-parking within twenty feet of an open parking space or loading zone. Section 12-913(1) opens with a single set of exceptions covering the whole subsection: a vehicle may stop, stand or park in a bike lane only when necessary to avoid a conflict with other traffic, to protect the safety of a person or vehicle, in compliance with law, or on the direction of a police officer or an official traffic-control device.

Outside those narrow exceptions, any vehicle left in a designated bicycle lane, whether idling, loading or fully parked, violates the section regardless of how briefly it sits there. 1). If the ticket is not answered within ten days, or is contested and lost, § 12-2809(1) adds a $30 base cost, and a further $35 late fee attaches if payment is not made within thirty days of a final order. A recipient may contest liability before a Parking Hearing Examiner under § 12-2807, who may enter a default order if the recipient fails to answer, appear, or pay after admitting the violation.

A losing party may appeal to a Parking Appeals Panel under § 12-2808 by filing a notice within thirty days of the Hearing Examiner's final determination, and from there to the Court of Common Pleas, with the losing party bearing the appeal's filing fee.