Photo by slack13

Come the fall, the D.C. Council is likely to debate legislation that would well change the way many of us park our cars. Among a few of the ideas floated at a recent hearing were shrinking residential parking zones so that they didn’t coincide with ward boundaries, changing the way D.C. doles out visitor parking passes and expanding market-based on-street parking options across the city.

Looking towards that, the D.C. Department of Transportation has announced a pair of community meetings to discuss what parking in D.C. might look like in the future:

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is hosting a series of community conversations, called Parking Think Tanks, to gauge the state of parking and to solicit public input on the future of parking in the District. DDOT envisions that these conversations will contribute to the development of a comprehensive curbside parking management plan.

In the ten years since DDOT’s establishment both the District and the role of transportation have changed dramatically. The population has grown; vehicle ownership has declined; transportation options and choices have greatly expanded; and more people are taking advantage of these new options. DDOT is asking for citizen input to develop strategies and recommendations to better balance the parking needs of everyone -employees, residents, and visitors – who competes for a share of the limited curbspace.

The goal of parking management in the District is to improve mobility and convenience by:

× Preserving access to parking in residential areas for residents;

× Promoting and facilitating commerce by prioritizing customer and commercial vehicle access in commercial areas; and

× Ensuring the safety of all transportation users including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists.

DDOT is seeking comments and recommendations on a number of its current parking programs such as the Residential and Visitor Permit Parking (RPP) programs, Performance Based Parking, parking meters, the management of reserved / restricted spaces (such as commercial loading, car sharing, ADA parking, etc.) and bicycle and scooter parking accommodations. Details about DDOT’s current parking programs are available online. In addition, DDOT is seeking suggestions for future parking enhancement opportunities

Anyone who visits, lives or works in the District is invited to attend a Parking Think Tank and/or to share their input via an online survey. The input received will help shape future parking policies and programs to create a more efficient use of parking resources.

The first discussion will happen next Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Old Council Chambers at One Judiciary Square (441 Fourth Street NW). The second will happen on Tuesday, September 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Ora Glover Community Room (1800 Good Hope Road, SE). More meetings might be added to the schedule.