$125 ‘block the box’ fines go into effect today
Drivers who block downtown Baltimore intersections with their cars today will risk receiving the first $125 fines for what’s commonly known as “blocking the box.” Under a new city law, police and traffic enforcement officers have the authority to begin issuing tickets today for the violation, which exacerbates traffic jams, especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours. It’s unclear which particular intersections will be targeted by authorities. The law applies citywide, although the issue is largely a complaint among drivers and pedestrians downtown, where traffic packs onto Pratt, Lombard, Baltimore, Charles, Light and Calvert streets as people commute to and from work. The “Don’t Block the Box” fine is a result of legislation sponsored by City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young in June. Young delayed a push by the city transportation department in April to begin enforcing state law that calls for a $90 fine, plus a point on the driver’s license, after raising concerns that the traffic lights were not synchronized correctly and were partly to blame. His legislation, which he said replaced an unenforced $250 city fine, made the offense within city limits a $125 fine, without putting points on a driver’s license. A pair of fishermen try their luck on the Severn River in Annapolis on Sunday.