Paid Parking At Reston Town Center Is Here To Stay: BXP Exec

RESTON, VA -- If you were hoping that Reston Town Center would eventually get rid of paid parking altogether, don't hold your breath. A Boston Properties official told Patch in a recent interview that while it's possible there could be changes down the line, there aren't going to be any near-term adjustments.

Boston Properties ended free parking last January and rolled out a ParkRTC system that would require visitors to the Town Center to pay for parking in the garage at all times Monday through Friday, and for street parking Monday through Saturday. After an intense public outcry, Reston Town Center eliminated paid parking in the evenings and offered an hour of free parking during daytime hours. However, many merchants argue that they're still suffering, and a substantial portion of locals say they won't return to RTC until paid parking is eliminated altogether.

However, Peter Johnston -- Boston Properties' executive vice president for the Washington D.C. region -- told Patch that things have "settled down," and that he thinks the response to the decision to roll back paid parking hours has been "exceedingly positive."

"I would say there's not going to be changes in the near-term," he said. "My guess is we'll evaluate as we get closer to the arrival of the Metro. Once they begin charging and the service is up and running, as we get closer to that, we might reevaluate what hours to charge for. I don't see anything happening before then."

The Reston Town Center Metro station is expected to open in late 2019 or sometime in 2020.

Image: Patch staff