Pittsburgh City Council has closed a loophole that made it harder to enforce the long-standing ban on parking vehicles on sidewalks and in bike lanes.
Parking on a sidewalk has long been prohibited under Pennsylvania law and Pittsburgh’s local code. But city officials said a provision allowing drivers to park for the protection of their vehicles created confusion and gave some motorists grounds to challenge tickets.
Council’s updated language narrows that exception. A vehicle may only be on a sidewalk when it is necessary to avoid a conflict with traffic or protect a person or vehicle while complying with the law, a police officer’s direction or a traffic-control device. Parking on a curb simply because a street is narrow or a driver wants to protect a car does not qualify…