Alexandria Pay-By-Phone Parking Program Changes Approved

ALEXANDRIA, VA — An approval by Alexandria City Council Saturday will allow the city to potentially change parking rates on pay-by-phone residential blocks and city-owned parking garages and lots.

The resolution approved by City Council allows the city's Director of Transportation and Environmental Services to set rates for parking garages and lots and residential pay-by-phone blocks. City Council also approved an ordinance eliminating the geographic limit for blocks that can be eligible for the residential pay-by-phone parking program and allowing residential pay-by-phone rates to differ from parking meter rates.

Before City Council's action on Saturday, the pay-by-phone residential parking program was restricted to east of Washington Street, south of Princess Street and north of Wolfe Street. The participating 21 blocks had to petition with at least 50 percent of properties on the block for pay-by-phone signage.

The current pay-by-phone rate is $1.75 per hour with 21 participating blocks. With City Council authorization, the city could set rates up to $5 per hour, although a staff report notes it does not plan to change rates to the maximum right away.

Staff could also consider changing rates of city-owned parking garages and lots to incentivize use. The city has four parking garages (Market Square, Courthouse, North Union Street and Thompson's Alley) and four surface lots (Cameron and St. Asaph Streets, South Henry Street, 900 block of King Street, and the Union Station lot). The rate is $2.50 per hour, or a maximum $5 on evenings after 5 p.m. and weekends.

Other City Council actions on Saturday included approving the name Redella S. "Del" Pepper Community Resource Center for the city's future facility at 4850 Mark Center Drive and approving a form lease to issue leases to artists at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

See all actions by City Council at Saturday's meeting here.