Lexington, KY- Lexington has approved an ordinance allowing police and LexPark to issue citations to drivers who park in a bike lane for longer than 10 minutes.
The parking ban goes into effect later this month, with full enforcement beginning Sept. 27. During a 30-day grace period, drivers are currently receiving warnings.
Fines are $50 per violation. The city also reserves the right to tow any vehicle that poses a public safety concern.
The ordinance was passed on Aug. 27 after recommendations from the STREEET Safety Task Force, a group that met in 2025 focusing on short-term solutions in the areas of "Engineering, Education, and Enforcement."
10th District Council Member Dave Sevigny said the city addressed concerns raised over the past year by bicyclists upset about people parking in bike lanes. Some cyclists said it impacted their ride to work.
"They were kind of being forced out into traffic unwillingly, so we got a ton of feedback that talked about different places in town that it was problematic," Sevigny said.
The city gathered feedback, in part, through a survey on engage.lexingtonky.gov.
3rd District Council Member Tom Eblen said the issue had long been on his radar.
"I had always wondered, I'm an avid cyclist and I had always wondered why it wasn't illegal," Eblen said.
Eblen and Sevigny co-sponsored the ordinance. As far as exceptions, Sevigny makes this point: "We allow, for example, a UPS Truck or a delivery vehicle or an Uber, to basically stop to immediately unload and load. They have a small period of time to do that."
The city says residents can learn more about the ordinance on Engage.LexingtonKY.gov/BikeLanes.
Drew Amman is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Drew at drew.amman@wlex.tv
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