Discussions over the future of illegal Sunday parkers around places of worship have gone on for months now, with varying amounts of venom coming from all sides. Having heard the discussion, the District Department of Transportation has begun moving toward taking action. Yesterday, the DDOT released its “New Religious Parking Policy,” and invited residents to comment on the proposals. According to the press release issued, DDOT proposes that it undertake the following:

— Conduct a detailed review, in coordination with affected Advisory
Neighborhood Commissions and neighborhood groups, of the existing parking
supply and demand balance, identified by user groups. Based on this review,
DDOT will pursue changes to parking and traffic regulations to meet these
parking demands.

— Provide blanket public space permits for as long as a year for Sunday
parking and for other agreed-upon church events. This revocable and
renewable permit could allow back-in parking, double-parking and other
additional spaces and would be in addition to the parking/traffic regulatory
changes. The new spaces would not block fire lanes or create other safety
hazards. This site-type of scheme has been successfully implemented on
Capitol Hill around RFK for the baseball season.

— Encourage discussions with private parking operators or other parking
facilities to open up more spaces for church attendees.

— Examine transit options, including shuttle service from large parking
lots, such as the site of the old convention center site and the RFK lots,
by Metrobus, the D.C. Circulator and private vans.

— Provide valet service to move vehicles blocking other vehicles.

— For three weeks before enforcement [of parking regulations] starts, projected to be around April
23rd, DDOT will work with DPW and the Mayor’s Religious Affairs Office to
distribute warning leaflets/brochures as was done last year in Capitol Hill
neighborhoods at the start of the baseball season.

— After the warning period, parking enforcement will increase around places
of worship.

— Similar steps will be taken to expand parking and step up enforcement in
other neighborhoods where parking is tight because of religious events.