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The City of Indianapolis recently received top honors for being "bicycle friendly" but some cyclists who rely on the city's greenways to commute say that couldn't be further from the truth and they have tickets to prove it.
Under Indy Parks and Recreation rules, all parks and greenways are closed from dusk to dawn. The city says it's to keep people safe, but others are saying it's doing just the opposite.
Doug Sears of Fishers has been commuting to work using the Monon Trail for the past five years without incident, until last Friday.
"He turned on the top of his lights and told me to pull over and asked what I was doing on here and I just said I'm trying to get to work," recalled Sears.
But according to city ordinance 631-102, doing so before the sun is up is against the law.
"He wrote me a ticket which is pretty hard to believe. For $50."
Over the past couple of weeks, dozens of cyclists have been slapped with a fine, some repeatedly.
"He was bragging about giving 50 something tickets away they day before so it's unbelievable," Sears said.
It might seem unbelievable, but the city Parks and Recreation Department says it's for your own good.
"The guidelines are in place as a public safety measure," says Paula Freund, public information officer.
Still commuters like Jay Church say he feels more at risk being forced to ride in the street.
"I find myself much safer on the Monon than on the streets if I'm going to be out after dark. I do use lights and reflectors but there's still less traffic on the trail than on the roads," said Church.
It's an argument the city has been hearing a lot of these days and is taking into account.
"We have received quite a few calls from cyclists who were ticketed during the hours in which they commute to work and we are working with IMPD and the courts to forgive those tickets," said Freund.
Not only is the city now willing to forgive those tickets, they're looking into re-writing the ordinance to accommodate both commuters and their safety.
"We certainly welcome continued dialogue among cyclists in Indianapolis."
If you received a ticket recently for commuting on the Monon Trail and want to find out how to get it forgiven contact Paula Freund at (317) 327-7035.
Under Indy Parks and Recreation rules, all parks and greenways are closed from dusk to dawn. The city says it's to keep people safe, but others are saying it's doing just the opposite.
Doug Sears of Fishers has been commuting to work using the Monon Trail for the past five years without incident, until last Friday.
"He turned on the top of his lights and told me to pull over and asked what I was doing on here and I just said I'm trying to get to work," recalled Sears.
But according to city ordinance 631-102, doing so before the sun is up is against the law.
"He wrote me a ticket which is pretty hard to believe. For $50."
Over the past couple of weeks, dozens of cyclists have been slapped with a fine, some repeatedly.
"He was bragging about giving 50 something tickets away they day before so it's unbelievable," Sears said.
It might seem unbelievable, but the city Parks and Recreation Department says it's for your own good.
"The guidelines are in place as a public safety measure," says Paula Freund, public information officer.
Still commuters like Jay Church say he feels more at risk being forced to ride in the street.
"I find myself much safer on the Monon than on the streets if I'm going to be out after dark. I do use lights and reflectors but there's still less traffic on the trail than on the roads," said Church.
It's an argument the city has been hearing a lot of these days and is taking into account.
"We have received quite a few calls from cyclists who were ticketed during the hours in which they commute to work and we are working with IMPD and the courts to forgive those tickets," said Freund.
Not only is the city now willing to forgive those tickets, they're looking into re-writing the ordinance to accommodate both commuters and their safety.
"We certainly welcome continued dialogue among cyclists in Indianapolis."
If you received a ticket recently for commuting on the Monon Trail and want to find out how to get it forgiven contact Paula Freund at (317) 327-7035.
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