Lexington, KY Public Conduct: Jaywalking (2026)
Key Facts
- Where it applies
- named arterial roadways only, § 18-94(4)
- Side-street reach
- first 200 feet from an arterial
- Crosswalk rule
- crossing outside crosswalk barred
- Median rule
- median use limited to active crossing
- Fine
- flat $100 per violation
- Officer discretion
- warning citation allowed instead
Summary
On Lexington-Fayette's busiest streets, pedestrians must use a crosswalk to cross: no wandering into traffic mid-block. LFUCG Code § 18-94 lists dozens of named arterial roadways, from Nicholasville Road to Broadway, where crossing outside a crosswalk, stepping onto the roadway to flag down a ride, or lingering on the median is a $100 fine, though officers can issue a warning instead.
No person shall cross an arterial roadway at any place except in a crosswalk. Where there is no crosswalk, a person shall cross only at an intersection in which traffic control signals or other devices are in place. Where there is no crosswalk nor traffic control signals or devices, a person shall cross an arterial roadway only at an intersection. No person, other than a person in or on a vehicle, shall be upon an arterial roadway or, while upon an arterial roadway, approach a vehicle, except one (1) that is legally parked at the curb or shoulder. No person shall be upon a median of an arterial roadway unless in the process of legally crossing the roadway in a crosswalk. ... Any person who shall violate any provision of section 18-94 shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100.00). Nothing contained herein shall prohibit the issuance of a warning citation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Republication | Zoning Ordinance: Republication).
Full Breakdown
Section 18-94 doesn't apply citywide, it's built around a specific list of named 'arterial roadways,' the streets that carry the most traffic in Lexington-Fayette County, running from Alexandria Drive and Broadway to Tates Creek Road, Versailles Road and Winchester Road, plus the first 200 feet of any side street that intersects one of them. On those roads, a pedestrian must cross in a marked crosswalk; where none exists, crossing is allowed only at a signalized intersection, and where there's neither a crosswalk nor a signal, only at any intersection.
The section separately bars anyone from being on the roadway itself except to reach a legally parked vehicle at the curb or shoulder, so approaching a car stopped in a travel lane is prohibited unless the vehicle is legally parked. Medians get their own rule: standing on an arterial median is unlawful unless the person is actively completing a legal crosswalk crossing, and staying through two consecutive safe crossing opportunities is treated as prima facie evidence of a violation. The section carves out exceptions for people lawfully crossing, law enforcement or rescue personnel, invited passengers boarding a stopped vehicle such as a taxi, and anyone doing emergency vehicle repairs.
Section 18-166 sets the penalty at a flat $100 fine per violation, while explicitly preserving an officer's option to issue a warning citation instead of a fine.
Violations & Fines
Crossing a listed arterial roadway outside a crosswalk, standing on the roadway to approach a vehicle that isn't legally parked, or lingering on a median through two crossing opportunities violates § 18-94 and carries a flat $100 fine under § 18-166, though officers may issue a warning citation instead of writing the fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is jaywalking illegal everywhere in Lexington?
What's the fine for jaywalking on an arterial road?
Can I stand on the median while waiting to cross?
Can I walk up to a car stopped in traffic to talk to the driver?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lexington
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