Gainesville, FL Mobility & Curb Rules: Bike Lane Rules (2026)

Section 26-47(a)(1) lists sixteen places where a driver may not stop, stand or park, and clause b specifically bars parking on a sidewalk, bike path, or bike lane. The prohibition applies unless the stop is necessary to avoid conflicting traffic or is made in compliance with law or a police officer's direction; there is no exception for loading, unloading or running into a business. Section 26-2 defines a bike lane as a lane marked within the travelled roadway area for preferential bicycle use, identified by guide signing and pavement markings, and a bike path as a facility physically separated from the roadway for bicycle and pedestrian use.

Because both bike lanes and bike paths appear in the same clause, a vehicle blocking either a striped on-street lane or a separated multi-use path is in violation. Enforcement runs through Sec. 26-46, which declares illegal parking a public nuisance and trespass and assigns liability to the vehicle's registered owner regardless of who was driving. A law enforcement officer, police service technician or parking enforcement specialist places a notice of violation on the vehicle explaining the section violated, the administrative fee, and the procedure for contesting the citation.

The fee is set in the schedule at Appendix A, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense. Anyone who fails to respond within the notice period waives the right to contest the citation on its merits, and unresolved cases go before the traffic hearing officer for Alachua County under Sec. 26-11.