ParkRTC Hammering Both Merchants and Employees, Shop Owners Claim

RESTON, VA — The new paid parking system at Reston Town Center is heavily costing both merchants and their employees -- and not just in terms of lost sales, business owners claimed during a recent meeting about ParkRTC on Monday at Vapiano.

Dozens of local business owners gathered at the restaurant to vent about RTC manager Boston Properties, claiming to have lost a lot of business ever since paid parking started on Jan. 3. Representatives from a law firm were on hand to inform merchants about how to organize as a next step in fighting paid parking.

Merchants at the meeting claimed not only to be down 10 to 50 percent in sales, but to be shelling out a large amount of money in parking validations. Aaron Mervis, who runs RTC's Big Bowl, said that validations had cost him $1,600, and many customers indicated they wouldn't come back anyway despite the validations.

"We're just throwing our money down the drain," he told the group.

And it's not just the merchants who are hurting, it's the employees as well, added Aaron Gordon, who runs Red Velvet Cupcakery.

"I talked to a waitress the other day who said her tips were down $500 per week, and she had to cancel her new rental agreement that she had just done," Gordon said. "I heard that people are losing employees already."

Boston Properties has declined to comment on any potential legal issues raised by merchants.

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