Saturday Parking Fees To Start At Huntington Metro

HUNTINGTON, VA—Parking at Huntington and other Metro stations for free is a perk reserved for weekends, but that will soon stop temporarily, at least on Saturdays.

Metro will begin charging parking fees on Saturdays beginning in February, WTOP reported. It will initially be a six-month pilot program taking effect at the 36 Metro-operated parking lots and garages.

Plans that advanced over the summer suggest the fee would be $1. Metro staff recommended it be lower than the weekday price to collect feedback on how the program is working. Huntington's daily weekday parking rate is $4.95.

The Saturday parking charge is just one of the proposals Metro has been considering as it seeks additional revenue to balance the budget. Virginia, DC and Maryland leadership have also been under pressure to provide permanent funding for Metro.

Cathy Hudgins, a Metro Board member and Fairfax County supervisor unsuccessfully tried to block Saturday parking fees at the county's seven Metro-run parking areas. “The overall concern is, do we drive ridership on Metro down by doing this?” she told the board, according to WTOP.

See more from WTOP.

Image via Patch editor Emily Leayman