Both the Post and WTOP have stories this morning announcing the National Park Service’s decision to close the tiny Tidal Basin parking lot during the National Cherry Blossom Festival this year. Talk about overdue ideas. Anyone who’s been down to see the blossoms at peak hours over the last decade can tell you that the additional traffic caused by the yahoos who seem to think they’ll be able to snag a spot in the lot, which has only 180 parking spaces, is a nuisance that should have been done away with long ago.

Obviously, our position is that any able bodied person should take Metro or ride a bike down to the Tidal Basin during the festival. But for those with a legitimate reason to drive (say, you have a disabled relative you’re bringing with you), the Park Service has set up a new parking alternative: 800 free parking spots are available along Ohio Drive SW around Hains Point, and a free shuttle will take people to and the area to the Tidal Basin.

The shuttle will run each day, beginning on Friday, every 20 to 30 minutes, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. between multiple spots around Hains Point and the Tidal Basin. And of course, there are plenty of cherry blossoms to be seen from Hains Point itself. The National Park Service has determined peak blooming dates will be between March 27 and April 3. The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 29 to April 13, with the parade scheduled for Saturday, April 12.

Photo by mnesterpics