If a road has bike lanes on both sides, how can a driver load and unload passengers? That's the question one Lower East Side resident had after receiving a ticket for blocking a bike lane. NY1's Susan Jhun filed the following report.

Lower East Side resident Ernest Marshall never expected to get a ticket for blocking a bike lane.

"If the city is looking to make money, this is a cash cow," says Marshall.

But he recently received a $115 ticket when he pulled over to pick up his wife.

"As my wife was leaving the sidewalk to get into the car, a traffic officer pulled in front of me, blocked me in and then proceeded to give me a traffic ticket," says Marshall.

He says he wasn't standing for more than a second, as his wife walked to the car and wonders where he was suppose to pull over to pick her up.

"There's parking, a bike lane and traffic on both sides of the street," says Marshall. "It's impossible to load or unload passengers from a car without blocking a bike lane or traffic itself. It's unfair."

Under city traffic rules, which are enforced by the New York Police Department, bicycle lanes are considered no stopping zones and vehicles, whether attended or not, are not permitted to stop, stand or park in them.

Marshall, who cycles himself, says he has nothing against bike lanes but wonders why drivers all over the city are allowed to load and unload passengers in other no stopping zones without ever being ticketed.

Furthermore, Marshall questions exactly who these rules apply to.

"We have a large number of senior citizens here. We also have a senior citizens' health center. So, we have a lot of traffic of Access-A-Rides and car services," says Marshall.

According to traffic rules, there are no exceptions, including commercial vehicles and vehicles dropping off children, seniors and the disabled.

NY1 called the Department of Transportation for a comment and a spokesperson said that on Marshall's street there's alternate side parking and meter spaces. If those are occupied, vehicles are permitted to expeditiously drop off or pick up passengers at the bus stop.

Marshall says drivers would have no way of knowing.

As for his ticket, the Department of Finance told NY1 it's valid and they would not offer a reduction since no stopping violations are the most serious.

Marshall paid the ticket so he could appeal the decision and is now awaiting his next hearing.

DOF says last year about 70,000 tickets were issued for stopping in a bike lane, out of 10 million tickets issued citywide.

Meanwhile, the DOT says it also wants to make clear that city rules prohibit stopping in any traffic lane, regardless of whether a bicycle lane is present.

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