Our neighborhood, which is more than a century old, was built to accommodate one vehicle per residence, at the most. Now the majority of homes have two, if not more, vehicles. Commercial businesses have contributed to the congestion. Parking is now very crowded, resulting in unsafe conditions for traffic and damage to parked cars. Crowded parking also makes it hard for emergency vehicles and sanitation trucks to maneuver down a street.
We want to keep our neighborhood user-friendly and safe. It would be helpful if all neighbors and visitors respected the following regulations, copied below from Lexington’s parking ordinances. Please be mindful of how you park in order to keep our streets and your vehicles safe.
Do not park:
- In front of a public or private driveway.
- On a sidewalk. The term “sidewalk” means that portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines intended for the use of pedestrians, including any strip of ground between curb and paved sidewalk.
- Near water meter lids, which are not easily seen. Kentucky American Water Co. advises: “Water meter lids are not constructed to withstand the weight of vehicles parking on them. Vehicles doing so can not only crush the lids themselves but also interfere with and/or damage the electronic equipment attached to the underside of the lids, which can impact our ability to read meters through our radio-read technology.”
- Within an intersection.
- On a crosswalk.
- Within twenty 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
- In any park area in any street, or in any parkway dividing two (2) streets. So, please don’t park on the Mentelle Park median, which is an official city park.
- Beside another vehicle (double parking).
- At any place where the curb is painted yellow.
- Going the opposite direction of traffic. Parking against the flow of traffic is especially dangerous on busy and narrow streets.
- In a front yard, side yard or back yard except upon an approved residential driveway.
Oversized vehicles — exceeding 7 feet in overall width or 20 feet in overall length or 7½ feet in overall height — should not park in the street.
It’s good to turn in your side mirrors when parked on narrow streets. Several vehicle mirrors have been damaged by sideswipes.
The Director of Traffic Engineering advises that it is acceptable to report parking and traffic concerns. If a vehicle is illegally parked and is a safety concern, please call Lexington Police non-emergency line (859-258-3600) to report it. The LDP Traffic Enforcement unit is primarily a first shift.
If you have difficulty accessing your driveway because vehicles are parked too close, you may request that the curbs by your driveway be painted yellow. Each homeowner must make a separate request to Clay at chelvey@lexingtonky.gov. It would also be helpful to report curbs at corners where yellow paint is faint or missing.
Thanks for helping to keep our neighborhood safe.