LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 1, 2014) — Starting April 21, anyone parking illegally in a handicapped parking spot in Fayette County will face a hefty fine of $250. It will be enforced.
In February, Lexington’s Urban County Council raised the fine for parking illegally in a handicapped parking spot from $15 to $250 to discourage violations. Raising the fee was recommended by the Mayor’s Commission for Citizens with Disabilities, who found that Lexington’s fine was one of the lowest in Kentucky.
The ordinance also required improved signage in private parking lots for the striped areas next to handicapped spaces. The spaces are critical for people who use wheelchair ramps or need extra space to transfer into and out of vehicles.
The Commission for Citizens with Disabilities has been awarded grant money from LexPark to assist existing business owners in complying with the ordinance. Businesses must update their handicapped van-accessible parking signage when they re-surface, re-stripe or reconfigure their parking lots.
Newly constructed businesses with parking are required to comply with the ordinance immediately.
All signage marking van-accessible striped spaces should consist of metal signs containing the message “No Parking Anytime.” This space should also be painted with the words “No Parking Anytime” in white or yellow paint.
The council passed the new ordinance on February 20, 2014, but delayed its effective date until a public education campaign could be completed to inform the public of the change in signage and striping as well as the significant increase in fines.
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