Report parking violations to the PPA in 30 seconds with a new tool
- Friends of Pine and Spruce
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
Laser Vision, launched by Philly Bike Action, allows users to take a picture of a parking violation and send a report to the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Hi Friends,
You may have seen this misleading article, "New Tool Reports Parking Violations," in today's Inquirer. We've responded to the PPA and the Inquirer (letter below) and copied many others as well. We've received emails from a few of you expressing concern about this PBA vigilantism and what impact it will have. We addressed this matter in our 7/2/2025 FOPS Update, but in case you missed it, here's what we said in that email.
As for enforcement, bike activists are lobbying for a zero-tolerance policy. They created a phone "app", called Laser Vision, to allow people to speedily report cars parked in the bike lane. This week we talked to PPA (including Executive Director Rich Lazer, after whom the app is nicknamed), and we learned that the activists' efforts won't hold much sway. The only way a ticket will be issued is if a PPA enforcement officer happens upon your car parked in the bike lane, and even then, if you're with your car, the officer will kindly give you a warning and ask you to move, and then go along his/her way. If your car is still there upon the officer's return on their circuit, then a ticket will be issued. The only effect of the activists' "app" is going to be more conflict between cyclists and residents, which will ultimately be their undoing.
We'll continue to do our best to represent your interests to keep Pine and Spruce safe for all stakeholders. As we have said in the past, please make your voices heard...it matters.
We need and appreciate your support.
Lloyd Brotman, OBO FOPS
7/16/25 EMAIL TO PPA AND INQUIRER
Hi Rich (rlazer@philapark.org, ED PPA) and Corinne (coconnor@philapark.org, DED PPA),
I hope this note finds you both well.
You may have seen today's Inquirer article "New Tool Reports Parking Violations," in which your Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) spokesperson Martin O'Rourke was quoted, "So far, Laser Vision has been beneficial to PPA. It has been tremendously helpful in tracking where blocking bike lane violations are occurring."
When we met with you on June 30th, among other matters, we discussed the so-called "Laser Vision" tool launched by Philly Bike Action (PBA), and you made it clear that this was not developed or sanctioned by the PPA. The Philly Bike Action tool simply fills out the Philadelphia Parking Authority's "Mobility Access Form," which is available to anyone, even without using the Philly Bike Action tool. Based on the statement on your website, the Parking Authority's Mobility Form is provided "to report a recurring parking issue that affects the pedestrian right-of-way in your community". The PPA Mobility Access form is not intended to be used for 1-off incidents but rather "recurring" problems. According to spokesperson O'Rourke, even without the additional reports from PBA Laser Vision, the Parking Authority already receives a "couple hundred requests about parking violations each week through its online form". This Philly Bike Action tool will undoubtedly increase the number of reports, but it will also serve to misuse limited resources by sending officers out on useless searches for 1-off alleged violations instead of recurring problems. Although buried in the story, spokesperson O'Rourke also makes the point that merely reporting by Laser Vision will not trigger a parking citation. Sending in a photo of an alleged violation might make the sender feel empowered, but it will not achieve anything more unless the report is truly about a recurring problem.
Either your spokesperson did not make it clear that this Laser Vision is a redundant tool that will serve to overuse the Parking Authority's limited resources, or the Inquirer reporter did not understand the nuance regarding the Philly Bike Action Laser Vision tool and the Philadelphia Parking Authority Mobility Access Form. This resulted in a misleading and inaccurate article being published in The Inquirer. We hope you will make this more transparent to the public.
Thank you,
Lloyd Brotman, OBO FOPS