Know The New Parking Regulations Before Parking In The Town Of Herndon

HERNDON, VA — Following a Tuesday night public hearing, the Herndon Town Council voted unanimously to amend the town's parking regulation ordinance.

Earlier in the evening, Herndon Police Chief Maggie DeBoard presented the proposed amendment. With the addition of a parking enforcement position at HPD in 2019 and regular enforcement, she told the council the department began to identify parking issues throughout the town. However, the pandemic delayed any further action.

DeBoard provided a more comprehensive look at the town's parking situation at a council work session in December. Since then, she worked on the proposed amendment with the town attorney based on her department's research and observations, as well as parking complaints from the public.

"These are issues that from our perspective affect both safety for drivers and pedestrians," she said.

The new amendment updates Herndon's parking ordinance, in the following ways, according to a town release, it:

• Defines commercial vehicles by weight, width and length and clarifies definition of utility trailers;
• Prohibits parking within five feet of a driveway;
• Prohibits parking that prevents use of curb ramps;
• Prohibits parking of recreational vehicles in on streets in residential areas; and
• Defines abandoned/inoperable vehicles, procedures for removal, and payment of fines.

“These new provisions to the town’s parking ordinance are designed to address issues Herndon residents have identified as detrimental to the quality of life in their neighborhoods and – more importantly – to their safety,” said Mayor Sheila Olem said, in a release.“They provide our parking officials and the Herndon Police Department with additional tools to keep our streets safe.”

The new parking ordinance went into effect once the council adopted the measure.