Richmond pauses bike-lane buffer tickets after backlash
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Examples of cars that don't quite fit in South Richmond parking spaces. Yes, we know one is a Maserati. Photos: Karri Peifer/Axios
Richmond is backing off its bike-lane buffer ticketing until June 1 after residents complained they were blindsided by the policy change.
- But officials aren't yet addressing another issue: Some parking spaces are so narrow that cars spill into the buffer zone even when parked correctly.
Why it matters: When enforcement starts back up, the city's message is essentially that if your car doesn't fit, park somewhere else — or risk a citation.
Driving the news: Richmond announced Friday that anyone who got a ticket in the past 30 days for parking in a bike-lane buffer can ask the city through a request form to throw it out.
- If residents have already paid the $65 ticket, they can call the city at 804-646-3684 for a refund.
- The pause, however, doesn't apply to people who park inside the bike lane.
The city didn't respond to Axios' request for comment about how many buffer zone tickets it issued in the past month or plans for the narrow parking spaces.
Catch up quick: City Council voted last month to expand Richmond's no-parking rules to include the painted buffer zones separating bike lanes from traffic, citing complaints of cars improperly parked in Northside, downtown and the Near West End.
- Supporters said the change would reduce the risk of cyclists being forced into traffic or hit by suddenly opened car doors.
- Some residents said the enforcement rolled out with little guidance, especially on narrower streets like Patterson Avenue or Semmes, where neighbors argue larger cars don't fit within the painted lines.
The intrigue: On Friday, city officials acknowledged "resident confusion" and "a lack of warning period."
- But weeks before, Richmond's official Instagram account said warnings had been shared before ticketing started.
What we're watching: Whether the city studies how widespread the too-narrow parking spaces are.