Drivers in Ann Arbor should be on notice that Ann Arbor officials have expanded the A2FixIt app to include reporting cars parked in bike lanes. The person who reports a vehicle parked in any bike lane throughout Ann Arbor need only take a photo of the vehicle’s license place to use as the photo which accompanies the complaint. Users should also note the day, time and location of the violation when making a report.

Community Standards (a department of the AAPD) will field the complaints and use the license plate photo to send either a citation or a warning to the owner of the vehicle pictured blocking the bike lane. A citation costs $35 ($25 if paid the same day). The fine increases to $55 if not paid within two weeks and to $75 if not paid within 30 days. 

On Twitter, Ward 4 Council member Dharma Akmon explained the expanded reporting system: “Include the date, time, & specific location of the offense.  Without that information, enforcement action (including sending a warning letter) cannot be taken.”

Akmon also said that because “the system is new” there will be bugs that will have to be worked out. The City has not yet done any community outreach about the new tool for anyone to report vehicles blocking bike lanes.

Colleen Stone works in the University of Michigan Dept. of Surgery. In response to Akmon’s Tweet, Stone said: “Honest question: Could we put the onus on community standards or aapd to be more proactive about patrolling for this? We know there are a few key areas where it’s consistently a problem…”

Councilmember Akmon explained the lack of AAPD services by asserting that “it really comes down to staffing and we don’t even have our normal number of traffic enforcement officers (down by half), and they are often pulled into assisting with new officer training as we hire. Overall AAPD has positions they are still trying to fill.”

The Ann Arbor Police Dept. Careers page states that, “Police officer positions will open one-to-two times per year and, when open, will be located on the City of Ann Arbor job site​​.”

On the day Akmon claimed the problem with proactive parking enforcement was staffing and that AAPD is trying to fill positions, the City of Ann Arbor job site listed no jobs for either police officers or community standards officers.