The penalty for drivers who block Brookline's bike lanes hasn't budged, even as the town raised nearly every other parking fine for the first time in almost two decades.

When Brookline's new parking fine schedule took effect Sunday, July 19, most violations jumped from $25 or $30 to $45 or $50. But the fine for stopping or standing in a bike lane stayed at $50, unchanged from the previous schedule. Boston charges $100 for the same violation, according to a letter by Toby Sillman, vice chair of the Brookline Bicycle Advisory Committee, which links to the city's official Boston Bikes page.

Sillman called the gap dangerous in the letter, published Friday, July 24, in Brookline.News.

"I find it absurd that drivers who illegally park in bike lanes, forcing already uncomfortable cyclists to swerve into traffic, putting their lives at risk, are subject to only a 50-dollar fine while cities like Boston charge $100, creating a much stronger deterrent for impatient drivers," Sillman wrote.

He singled out Coolidge Corner, writing that the area has persistent double-parking problems and that many residents remain too afraid to bike to local businesses. Sillman urged the Brookline Police Department to enforce no-standing and no-stopping rules in bike lanes more aggressively and called on the town to invest in parking-protected bike lane infrastructure.

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The Brookline Police Department has not publicly responded to Sillman's letter or commented on bike lane enforcement priorities.

The Select Board approved the new fine schedule in May 2026, acting on advice from the Transportation Board. Town Administrator Charles Carey told the board in March 2026 that Brookline had not raised parking fines since 2007. "Other communities are higher than we are now," Carey said at the time.

The increase is projected to generate more than $1 million in new annual revenue for the town, according to Brookline.News. The double-parking fine rose from $30 to $50. Fines for stopping on a crosswalk or sidewalk also climbed to $50.

The bike lane fine, however, was already at $50 before the overhaul. It now sits at the same level as double-parking, a violation that previously carried a lower penalty.

A second letter to the editor, published Thursday, July 23, in Brookline.News, also called for stepped-up bike lane enforcement, noting potential revenue the town is leaving on the table.

No Select Board, Transportation Board, or Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting has been publicly scheduled to revisit the bike lane fine or enforcement strategy. Residents can view the full updated fine schedule on the Brookline Police Department's parking ticket page.