RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond has resumed issuing parking tickets near bike lanes following a monthlong pause, returning to enforcement June 1 under a revised policy that came after families complained about hundreds of dollars in fines.
The city had cracked down on drivers parking in bike lanes and buffer zones, including those along Patterson Avenue and Malvern Avenue. Those buffer zones separate bike lanes from traffic, with the goal of improving safety for cyclists and encouraging drivers to slow down.
Families raised concerns about the abrupt rollout of the ticketing. Councilman Andrew Breton shared those concerns last month, saying the city should have used a warning period first to give people time to understand the new standards.
Watch: Neighbors fined over Richmond's new bike lane parking rules; one city leader wants tickets tossed
The city paused enforcement for the entire month of May, issuing warnings instead of citations while officials reviewed parking concerns in the area.
Now, under new guidance, drivers will not receive a ticket for parking on the line. However, drivers can still be ticketed if any part of their vehicle extends beyond the line. The city says its review found no location where a standard passenger vehicle cannot fit within the designated parking spaces.
Breton said he is pleased with the policy updates and praised the more transparent enforcement standards.
But some people living along Patterson Avenue say the changes are not enough. Longtime residents like Jack Reichner say forgiving the tickets was important but not sufficient, arguing the underlying problem is the size of the parking spaces. Residents want the city to widen the spaces to allow everyone to fit, and they believe that can be done while still leaving room for the cyclist buffer zone.
"In terms of going forward, the other thing that we've been talking to Councilman Breton as well as to other folks about is making the parking spaces a little bit wider, so that everybody can fit in them, while still giving enough space for the buffer zone to the bicyclists," Reichner said.
Some neighbors have already changed the way they park due to uncertainty about future citations. One resident said his seven-months pregnant wife now parks around the corner and walks to their home to avoid getting a ticket.
Blanton Bazemore, another Patterson Avenue resident, says he understand the goal of protecting cyclists, but more needs to be done.
"I think the city needs to listen to the people that actually live here, that pay taxes on the property that live here and pay taxes on the vehicles that we park here" Bazemore said.
City leaders say the buffer zone is important for cyclist safety, protecting cyclists from being hit by opening car doors and creating a barrier between bikes and traffic.
Cycling advocates continue to support the enforcement effort, arguing the buffer zone is critical for their safety, keeps them from being forced into traffic, and reduces the risk of accidents.
Residents say the debate is not about whether bike lanes should exist, but about whether the current design can better serve everyone who uses the street.
City leaders say they will continue to monitor enforcement and plan to address concerns about specific locations as they come up.
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