How to Fight Parking Tickets in the City of Providence
Parking in a bicycle lane
In Providence, bicycle lanes are reserved strictly for cyclists to ensure safety and traffic flow. You are prohibited from stopping, standing, or parking your vehicle in these lanes at any time, even for a brief moment. Violating this rule results in an immediate citation as it forces cyclists into dangerous traffic situations.
Guide to Fighting City of Providence Parking in a bicycle lane
Parking in Providence can be a challenge, and with the city's increasing efforts to become more bike-friendly, knowing where the asphalt ends and the bike lane begins is crucial. If you are reading this, chances are you returned to your vehicle to find a citation for parking in a bicycle lane. While it is certainly frustrating to see that slip of paper under your windshield wiper, it is important to handle the situation immediately. The City of Providence takes these violations seriously because blocking a bike lane forces cyclists to merge into vehicle traffic, creating significant safety hazards.
For this specific violation, the base fine is set at $127.00. While that amount is already steep, the real danger lies in the late fees. Providence has an incredibly aggressive penalty structure compared to many other cities. If you do not pay the ticket or enter a plea within 14 days, the fine doubles to $254.00. If you let it linger past 28 days, the fine triples to a staggering $381.00. Because the penalties escalate so quickly, ignoring this ticket is the most expensive mistake you can make.
When it comes to disputing these tickets, drivers often look for specific angles to challenge the validity of the citation. Common defenses usually involve the visibility of the lane markings. If the painted lines were completely worn away or covered by snow, or if the signage indicating a bike lane was missing or obstructed, you might have grounds for a dismissal. Additionally, if your vehicle was disabled due to a mechanical emergency and you were waiting for a tow truck, this can sometimes be a valid defense if you have the receipts to prove it. However, simply stopping "for just a minute" to unload groceries or pick up a passenger is rarely accepted as a valid excuse by the city.
While Busted does not currently support disputing parking tickets in Providence, we highly recommend taking care of the fine immediately to avoid those doubling and tripling penalties. Navigating municipal websites can be clunky, confusing, and slow. Busted offers a streamlined way to pay your ticket directly through our web app. We handle the transaction to ensure your payment is processed correctly and on time, giving you peace of mind that you won't wake up to a $381.00 bill next month.
To resolve this, simply use the Busted web interface. You don't need to download anything; just navigate to our site, enter your citation details, and we will facilitate the payment to the City of Providence for you. It is the fastest way to put this incident behind you and get back to your day without the looming threat of escalating fines.
Late fee schedule
| Timing | Fee |
|---|---|
14-28 days In the event any of the foregoing stated fines are not paid or a plea of not guilty to the citation is entered prior to the fourteenth day after date of violation, said fines shall be doubled. | $254.00 |
After 28 days In the event any of the foregoing stated fines are not paid or a plea of not guilty to the citation is entered subsequent to the fourteenth day and prior to the twenty-eighth day after date of violations, said fines shall be tripled. | $381.00 |