Ward 2 D.C. Councilman Jack Evans wants to roll back parking meter rates and hours of enforcement in some the District’s busiest neighborhoods. The council’s finance committee, which Evans heads, approved the change in its final budget recommendations Thursday. It’s now up to Council Chairman Kwame Brown to decide whether it makes it into the version of the 2012 budget the council will vote on later this month and is implemented in October. If the measure passes, it would roll back controversial increases that went into effect over the past two years.
“I get consistent complaints about the parking meters everywhere I go in my ward from residents,” Evans told The Washington Examiner. “I can’t go into a restaurant without the owner coming out to complain about the cost of the parking meters.”
Starting in January 2010, in areas like Adams Morgan, Georgetown, downtown and Chinatown, drivers had to pump meters with change until 10 p.m. Under Evans’ proposal, the meters would stop ticking at 6:30 p.m. He’d also change the rates back to the 2009 level when it cost $1 to park for an hour in the busiest areas rather than $2.
The changes raised about $5.3 million for the city, a District Department of Transportation spokesman said. The mayor’s budget proposal accounts for $5.2 million from the rate and hour changes, which means Evans will have to find that much cash to roll them back.
“We’ll find it in other areas,” Evans said. “I’m not worried about that.”
David Alpert, founder of the blog Greater Greater Washington and a smart-growth advocate, called the current rates “convenient.”
“They make it possible to find a space downtown,” Alpert said. “Rolling back the rates will create a situation where all the spaces are full and people will drive around looking.”
Alpert said it would be better for the District to create “performance parking” zones where the price varies based on demand.
“I know the anti-car people will say, ‘It’s working, it’s working,’ ” Evans said of the rate changes. “But I get too many complaints for it to be working.”
