RECENT COMMENTS
Common parking violations in Richmond and the associated fines
Benedicte sends in this list of common parking violations from the city, observing that “We are having a lot of problems with people parking in front of 1/2 alley, on a crosswalk, in front of fire hydrant especially when something is happening on the Hill, in front of a ramp constructed for use of handicap person…”
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Common Parking Violations
$20 Fine
Exceeding the time limit designated on signs
Violation of parking meter provisions
Parking improperly in a metered on-street parking space
Parking improperly in a metered off-street parking area
Parking oversized vehicles improperly in metered spaces
Parking or stopping on the wrong side of the street
$40 Fine
Parking in any location in violation of Richmond City Code, Section 102-222, to include the following places:
- On a sidewalk
- In front of a public or private driveway
- Within an intersection
- Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
- On a crosswalk
- Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection
On the roadway side of any vehicle parked at the edge or curb of a street
At any place where official signs prohibit parking, or during street cleaning
At any place where an order, rule, or regulation issued prohibits or restricts parking
Parking in any lane marked and designated as a “fire lane,” within or adjacent to a parking area or parking lot that is open to the public and which is designed to accommodate 50 or more vehicles
Parking so as to block an alley or to block a driveway into an alley
$50 Fine
Parking in excess of the time limit designated on signs in a restricted parking district without a valid parking decal, temporary parking pass or visitor’s parking pass for that restricted parking district
$60 Fine
Parking in a tow-away zone
Parking in a bus zone or taxicab stand
$95 Fine
Towing of illegally parked vehicles
$200 Fine
Parking in handicap zone
Parking in front of a ramp constructed for use of handicapped persons
Just curious: Has anybody ever bothered sharing this list with the city police? I’m sure they’d enforce the ordinances if they were aware of them, aren’t you?
Parking within 20 ft of a corner should be ticketed more often, it’s so hard to pull out on some of these streets that don’t have stop signs when you can’t see around the corners.
Have my own flyer which quotes the code (Section 102-222) that I use when folks carelessly park in the crosswalks around Jefferson Park. May add this info to it to “cover all the bases”. Lots of folks coming to Church Hill are either not accustomed to off street parking, or have an annoyingly suburbanite attitude and just don’t give a damn. BTW, you HAVE to call it in, to get them ticketed. Just sayin’…
Here is a link for more related information:
http://www.richmondgov.com/Parking/
I posted the codes here more than once especially about the 20-feet distance from the intersection. If you have car like mine that has a long hood and you sit back around 8-feet to the middle of the car, you have to pull half way out into the intersection to start seeing around a parked vehicle, especially an SUV or someone that did not park close to the curb. Having to inch out and cross your fingers that someone isn’t speeding down the road, has become an almost daily frustration and fear for me.
Here is another reference link for our readers:
http://www.richmondgov.com/Parking/ParkingInformation.aspx
@4, thanks for the reminder to call it in. Where i live I constantly have a blind corner created by someone in a large SUV or similar vehicle, and I nearly got slammed the yesterday.
@4 UnionHillian – what phone number do you call? In the past, I’ve used the non-emergency; haven’t called any in lately.
I agree with all the parking rules, but, most commonly the real problem is people driving TOO FAST!! Marshall, broad infront of Chimbo, franklin st at Libby hill park. Most of the time when I have almost got hit on these blind corners it’s been because people were going WAY too fast!
It would also be nice for the city to have signs posting “no parking” from here to the corner… But that’s asking a little much
Maybe suggesting the police hand out a flyer on this info every 6 months or quarter?
@ #10 (& all)
The RPD Non-Emergency # is: 804-646-5100.
Also, if you witness speeding, get the plates (if possible) & Veh. description and call that in as well.
Rules of the Road. That is what irks me as no one seems to either obey them or were never taught them? Like this new trend of a car rolling through a stop sign right behind someone who stopped in front of them. What gives with that? Or someone making a right cutting in front of someone who is going straight through an intersection (who has the right away). That along with speeding and parking issues. Everyone seems to be only out for themselves and the hell with anyone else on the road!?!?
$0 Fine
Making an illegal left turn into or out of the McDonald’s at the bottom of the hill.
I see that all the time Alex. There are signs in front of the cleaners on the pole saying if you travel East on Broad, no left turn across traffic into the parking lot. And half the time they enter in the exit lane. I met someone doing that one morning and they had to make a quick maneuver to get out of traffic. You are supposed to make a left onto 18th and enter on that side. The same going out with people heading East. The driveways were designed at slants to go with the flow of traffic. And on a side note, people will sit for 5-minutes to get by you in line so they can exit out the 18th Street side instead of exit out onto Broad and make a right turn onto 18th. By the time they get a break from someone in the drive thru they could have make the other trip half a dozen times!
Alex, I’m with you 10,000,000,000% on the illegal left turn into McD. I have watch more than once cars making this left turn, get stuck on the brick median (since the entrance isn’t set up for these turns), then reverse back onto Broad St. which holds both lanes up as other drivers try to figure out what they’re doing – and this is during morning rush hour!
Any chance of getting these parking issues brought up at the 7th district meeting?
I think the big problem with the McDonald’s lefts is that the sign is before the point people are turning. Adding a clear sign showing to turn on 18th and moving the other sign back ten feet so it’s still visible would help. Even better would be some enforcement. Between these left turns and the GRTC having two stops a block apart, there’s about three minutes wasted for every commuter every morning.
If RPD were to do one week of setting up an officer to ticket every left turn into McDonald’s, I’m guessing they could raise enough in fines to buy a few new cars.
The left turners at McDonald’s could all be stopped with a bumper running vertically down the center dividing line. A bumper just long enough to block the two McD’s driveways would stop all those illegal left turns.
Agree with all regarding the McDonald’s left turn lane. It’s very frustrating especially during rush hour times.
So has anyone contacted the Department of Public Works to have this addressed or is everyone just going to complain on Churchill people’s news?
@21 Most likely they will just complain here on CHPN. But are you referring to the left turns at McD’s or the other parking problems? I’m not sure who to contact for the left turns. Police non-emergency for illegally parked vehicles. Maybe police for the left turns, too.
Dept of public works can install new signage as well as alter the road construction to prevent left turns. If the parking and traffic issues are raised at both the district 7 meeting as well as to the Department of Public Works, the people that can address issues are alerted. Further, if all the people that are commenting on this thread each contact the Department of Public Works individually it may causea change. The question people need to ask is do they want to complain or solve the problem.
@ neighbor, RPD does monitor this site so while complaining may seem like a waste of time, it is not falling on deaf ears. RPD would be the ones to voice concerns to about the McDonalds left turns.
RPD could issue a few tickets for a day or two. Organizing a community effort to work with the traffic engineer and Department of Public Works is a long term fix. If there are particular intersections that are a problem because of people parking in the wrong places Department of Public Works can put up no parking signs. I would rather the police focus their efforts on the shootings and robberies in our neighborhood so that we can feel safe to walk at night.
From a recent email regarding the next week’s 1st Precinct MPACT meeting from Coordinator Hope Cousin…
“Good Afternoon!
Attached is the agenda for the 1st Precinct MPACT Meeting, scheduled for, Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 6:00PM. The meeting will be held at EDI (East District Center), 701 N. 25th St, in the 1st floor conference room.
This month, we invite you to attend a MPACT conversation with the Maintenance Operations Manager for the Department of Public Works, Torrence Robinson, who will discuss street signage, markings, other traffic signals, and where we are at making the City of Richmond a Wheelchair/Disability Friendly city, as well as, the Director of Budget and Strategic Planning, Jay Brown, who will discuss the proposed budget. Environmental Officer, Harold Ford will also be in attendance to address any concerns that you may have.”
Out of curiosity– do public-access alleys come under the ‘no parking right next to corners’ thing? Or is it just major/named roads?
Ok I emailed Sharon North with Public Works. Her initial response was that, if there is a no left turn sign, the police should enforce it. I wrote back and told her that apparently there is a sign but it must not be very visible, and she wrote back and said she would let Traffic Engineering know to come and look at the problem.
There originally was a no left turn sign in the sidewalk in front of McD’s but it got hit so many times and knocked over, I guess they got tired of replacing it. Police didn’t enforce that, either. Not sure what the cure here is but maybe Traffic Engineering can come up with something.
Really, all this talk over the left turn at McDonalds? McDonalds shouldnt even be able to be open with the crap food they sell.
No one is even barely speaking about their views on the recent shootings.
If Richmond’s Finest walk out or don’t show up because of the recent events about minuscule pay raises for senior officers, we won’t have to worry about hunting down shooters, looters, vandals, or city code offenders. They will find us!
As for a public alley, I don’t think so. Those are considered “easements” which should be free from people parking in them so traffic can flow through – and Firefighters and Utility Workers can have access if needed. They belong to the city and not anyone’s personal property.
Kids vandalize the signs that are lower than 6-7 feet tall and the ones on the pole in front of the cleaners are large but high up.
It brings me back to people not following the rules of the road. Many people are too busy texting or talking on cell phones to pay attention to or read signs, including the red octangle ones that says STOP on them. I know it is a big complicated word to understand.
I was nearly ran over crossing at a stopping yield sign because the person was going to simply run through it rather than “stop” as their intended purpose.
And another irk this morning (and evenings), doesn’t anyone look at their dashboard and speedometers any more? They drive with their lights off after dark (could tell by the dash if they look) …
And by law (§ 46.2-1030 ) if you have to use your windshield wipers due to rain, fog or snow, you are required to turn on your headlights as well! Hard to see anyone in the dark cloud covered rain sometimes – like this morning.
And people, they also make “Turn Signals” for a purpose. You know, that stick on the left side of the steering column that is used for more than Cruise Control, Wipers, or High Beams. It also causes lights to flash on and off in the direction you intend to turn and let others know “ahead of time” your intent.
Arrrggghhh!!!
Off My Soap Box but serious about the Police Force pay raise insult after waiting out a promise.
Public works could paint a “no left turn” sign on the road in front of McD’s to reinforce the no left turn.
They painted a sign on the road at the I-95 entrance on Broad Street going east as you go down the hill
Some cars come out of McD’s and turn left which is not allowed either!
@32 Puzzled, why don’t you email the city about that? The person I emailed today is Public Information Manger for Public Works. Her name is Sharon North, she seems like a nice person, and her email is SHARON.NORTH@RICHMONDGOV.COM She told me in an email that she would turn it over to Traffic Engineering. I think your idea is good.
Many people who turn left there are our neighbors, and they know they aren’t supposed to make a left turn in or out of McD’s. I’ve pointed to the sign many times, only to get flipped off or cussed at. Unless a physical barrier is installed so they can’t get across Broad St using a left turn, you can count on most of them to keep doing it. No amount of signage is going to stop an a$$hole.
In part, it is the society as a whole. The “ME” generation who is only out for themselves so you are right, no amount of signage will fix “stupid”. People make their own laws it seems so unless you route these mindless rats through a maze then it will continue. The road is not wide enough for a barrier or median. Painting the lane “may” reduce some of the issues. Then they park in the handicap spots without a placard or tags… that usually a $200-$500 fine if Mc.D would enforce it.
@ mike, union hillian and Eric
Where does it say you can’t park within 20 ft of an intersection? The only rule I see is within 20 ft of an intersection (At a crosswalk).