City of Richmond pauses bike-lane buffer ticketing until June 1

All citations issued in the past 30 days will be forgiven.

Richmond, VA — After hearing resident confusion and acknowledging a lack of warning period, the City of Richmond will now pause ticketing drivers for parking in the bike-lane buffer (as enabled by of ORD. 2026-088). Ticketing will resume on June 1.

Three Things Drivers Need to Know

All citations issued in the past 30 days for vehicles parked in the bike-lane buffers will, after review, be forgiven. Drivers should fill out the Parking Citation Administrative Review Request form. If a citation has already been paid, drivers can request a refund by calling 804.646.3684. Please have your citation details and form of payment on hand.

Vehicles that cannot fully fit within the marked parking space will be ticketed beginning June 1. Drivers should park fully within marked parking areas. If a vehicle cannot fit in a designated space without extending into a bike lane or the buffer, then drivers should seek an alternative legal parking location.

Parking in the bike lane proper will still be ticketed. The pause on ticketing applies only to parking in the bike-lane buffer. If drivers park in the bike lane today, they will be ticketed.

Additional resources

Bike Lane FAQ, rva.gov

Anatomy of a Bike Lane

A side‑by‑side illustration showing the difference between a buffer and a bike lane. On the left, parked cars are separated from a bicyclist by a striped buffer zone marked with diagonal lines; text reads 'buffer — Don’t park here (even on the line!).' On the right, a dedicated bike lane runs next to a sidewalk with people walking and a building; text reads 'bike lane — Don’t park here. Do bike here.