> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.richmonder.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Richmond is changing its rules for parking near stop signs - URL: https://www.richmonder.org/richmond-is-changing-its-rules-for-parking-near-stop-signs/ - Published: 2026-11-10T21:39:06.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-10T21:39:06.000Z - Description: “Research did not identify evidence that a blanket 30-foot stop-sign setback is safer than a 20-foot intersection setback.” - Author: Sarah Vogelsong - Tags: City Government, #lead Richmond is getting rid of a rule that prohibits drivers from parking within 30 feet of any stop sign in an effort to make parking rules clearer and more in line with the statewide standard. The local regulation “was confusing and not marked and creating real parking pressures within my district and other districts,” Councilor Katherine Jordan told a City Council committee earlier this fall. Instead, the city will switch to the state’s approach, which prohibits parking within 20 feet of the intersection of curb lines, a standard also used in Henrico County and by several other cities like Alexandria and Charlottesville. The [new ordinance](https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=8150426&GUID=93FDA77C-8066-4D7E-AD72-E9DDE4AE3693&Options=&Search=) will also give the Department of Public Works discretion to set larger no-parking zones if engineers think they would be safer — as long as they are clearly designated. “Where there’s a tree or some other obstacle where they feel like they need that 30 or 40 feet even, they could do that,” Jordan said. Richmond previously barred drivers from parking within 20 feet of “a crosswalk at an intersection” but, like Chesterfield County, also had a separate rule prohibiting it within 30 feet of “any flashing beacon, stop sign or traffic control signal located at the side of the roadway.” The issue became a flashpoint earlier this year when the city launched a parking enforcement blitz known as “Keep Corners Clear.” Data gathered by City Council staffers this summer found that 1,359 stop-sign parking citations had been issued in 2026, compared to 358 in 2025\. The overwhelming majority had been handed out in Richmond’s 2nd District, an area that includes densely populated neighborhoods like the Fan, Scott’s Addition and Carver. [Richmond to continue ticketing drivers who park too close to intersections and crosswalksRichmond also signaled it plans to ramp up enforcement of parking in bike lanes, which has been illegal since 2019.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1-c80d5ada-8085-4dd9-adcd-4ce290ba6fb9.png)The RichmonderSarah Vogelsong![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/99/06/99067822-fdfd-42b1-ab19-555c33eefb89/content/images/thumbnail/parking-ticket-8c13fbf7-fb2b-4078-b667-f91febb9bd3e.jpg)](https://www.richmonder.org/richmond-to-continue-ticketing-drivers-who-park-too-close-to-intersections-and-crosswalks/) “A citywide rule is being enforced as a blunt tool, even though sight-distance needs vary by intersection,” [a presentation to the Safe and Healthy Streets Commission](https://richmondva.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15929280&GUID=76020E73-73C4-4810-8C10-B58E310DE772) this July concluded. “Research did not identify evidence that a blanket 30-foot stop-sign setback is safer than a 20-foot intersection setback.” The 30-foot rule also proved confusing for some residents, who said they hadn’t known it existed. “Many residents have reached out as well as businesses expressing not only the frustration with the enforcement, but particularly the enforcement around the distance that you can park near a stop sign or intersection,” Jeremy Hoffman, president of the Greater Scott’s Addition Association, told the Council’s Land Use, Housing and Transportation Committee this September. Similarly, Fan District Association President Daniella White said the restrictions “can be very difficult for residents and visitors to understand.” “A clear 20-foot standard measured from the intersection of the curb provides a more straightforward rule that people can understand,” she said. At the same time, Jordan said the change would restore some parking capacity to many streets where parking is at a premium by reducing the 30-foot buffer. Not everyone was in favor of the new approach. Fan resident Luke Priddy sent the council a lengthy defense of the 30-foot stop-sign rule, saying that “Richmond can address legitimate concerns about parking availability, unexpected citations, notice, and enforcement” in other ways. Still TBD: whether more signage or curb paint indicating prohibited distances is in the works. “The city should pair this change with clear and consistent signage and, where appropriate, pavement markings,” White urged this September. “If a driver is expected to know exactly where the parking is prohibited, we should make those boundaries readable and visible and easy to understand.” Jordan said that any markings “really would be a vast improvement on what we’ve got right now.” The City Council has asked the Department of Public Works to include signage details in a plan it’s required to produce within 60 days of how the amended ordinance is being implemented. Another plan will be due in six months on how the rollout is going. *Contact Reporter Sarah Vogelsong at* [*svogelsong@richmonder.org*](mailto:svogelsong@richmonder.org)