A NewsChannel 3 viewer sent us a message saying that she had been issued a parking ticket for parking on the sidewalk even though she was parked in her own driveway.
The vehicle was parked in her driveway, but in the area where the sidewalk crosses over (still 3-4 feet from the bottom of the driveway).
A little investigating revealed that in most cases, your property line ends at the sidewalk.
The sidewalk is considered public property, including the portion that crosses over your driveway. So blocking it, even though you're in your own driveway, is considered parking on the sidewalk.
It should also be noted that you can’t park IN FRONT OF your driveway either.
Local codes are as follows...
Here’s Chesapeake’s:
No person shall park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic control device, in any of the following places:
(1)On a sidewalk or a city right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb.
Norfolk:
No person shall park a vehicle or permit it to stand, whether attended or unattended, in the following areas:
(a)In front of a public or private driveway on a street or alley, or within three (3) feet of the edge of the driveway entrance, unless otherwise indicated;
(b)On any improved or unimproved area between the paved vehicular portion of any public right-of-way and the private property line; provided however that this subsection shall not apply to the parking of a vehicle on the unimproved portion of the public right-of-way where there is no curb and gutter and there is no sign prohibiting such parking;
Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Hampton:
No person shall park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places:
(1)On a sidewalk.
Suffolk:
Sec. 86-106. Parking in front of fire hydrant, near street corner, fire station, in a fire lane.
No person shall park a vehicle or permit it to stand, whether attended or unattended, upon a street in front of a private driveway or within 15 feet in either direction of a fire hydrant or the entrance to a fire station, or within 15 feet of the entrance to a building housing rescue squad equipment or ambulances provided such buildings are plainly designated, or on a sidewalk, or between a sidewalk and the curbline of a street, nor within 20 feet from the intersection of curblines, or if none, then within 15 feet of the intersection of property lines at an intersection of streets or within any area designated as a fire lane.
Newport News:
Sec. 26-119. Parking on sidewalks.
Except as provided by ordinance, it shall be unlawful for any person to place or park any motor vehicle or trailer upon any sidewalk of the city.
