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Frederick, MD Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Citation
City Code § 13-31(b)(9)
Prohibited act
Stopping, standing, or parking
Location
Any bicycle lane, citywide
Exception
Traffic conflict or officer direction
Enforcement
Citation under § 13-42 fine schedule

Summary

Stopping, standing or parking a vehicle in a bicycle lane is unlawful anywhere in Frederick under City Code Sec. 13-31(b)(9). The prohibition sits alongside bans on blocking sidewalks, crosswalks and fire lanes, enforced under the article's general citation authority.

(a)Exception. The provisions of subsection (b) of this section apply except as is necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device.(b)Prohibitions. A person may not stop, stand, or park a vehicle:(7)Unless for the use of a handicapped individual, in a space or zone marked as restricted for the use of handicapped individuals,(8)In any designated fire lane;(9)In any bicycle lane; or(10)On a street or within a parking lot or parking deck otherwise than within the lines or markings, if any, designating a parking space.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Management Code: Supplement 13 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 112).

Full Breakdown

Sec. ' That prohibition applies except when necessary to avoid a traffic conflict or to comply with a police officer's direction or a traffic-control device, per subsection (a)'s narrow exception. The same section separately bars parking on sidewalks, in crosswalks, on bridges or elevated structures, in fire lanes, in front of public driveways, and outside marked space lines in City-operated lots or the Frederick Community College main campus lot. The double-parking companion rule in Sec. 13-32(d) reinforces the bike-lane protection for commercial loading: a vehicle double-parked to load or unload may not partially or wholly block a bike lane, alleyway, crosswalk or driveway.

Frederick's improper-parking violations are cited under the enforcement chapter's citation authority in Sec. 13-42, which ties fines to a schedule set by City Council ordinance or resolution rather than a single flat dollar figure printed in the code itself. Because Sec. 13-31 sits in Article II's general stopping-standing-parking rules rather than a bicycle-specific chapter, Frederick regulates bike lanes here as a parking-obstruction issue, not through a separate cyclist-rights-of-way ordinance.

Violations & Fines

Parking in a bicycle lane is enforced as an improper-parking violation under Sec. 13-31, citable under the general citation authority in Sec. 13-42. Fines are set by a schedule the City Council establishes by ordinance or resolution rather than a fixed amount written into Sec. 13-31 itself, and officers may also tow under the City's general impoundment authority for an obstructing vehicle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to park in a bike lane in Frederick?
Yes. Sec. 13-31(b)(9) specifically bars stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle in any bicycle lane in the city, and it applies the same way it applies to sidewalks, crosswalks and fire lanes listed in the rest of that section.
Can I stop briefly in a bike lane to drop off a passenger?
Sec. 13-31(a) only exempts stopping that is necessary to avoid conflicting with other traffic or to comply with a police officer or traffic-control device; a routine passenger drop-off is not one of those carve-outs, so it remains a citable improper-parking violation.
What is the fine for parking in a Frederick bike lane?
Sec. 13-31 does not print a flat dollar amount; citations for improper parking, including bike-lane violations, are issued under Sec. 13-42 according to a fine schedule the City Council sets and can adjust by ordinance or resolution.

Sources & Official References

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