Local officials in Alexandria are out to curb tourism buses, which clog the streets in Alexandria’s Old Town neighborhood during the summer months.
City officials are asking operators of motorcoaches – the name the city applies to any buses that aren’t part of the public transit or school systems — to apply for operating permits starting Thursday. Without a permit, buses won’t have access to the city’s new free parking spots.
“The increasing number of buses and large motorcoaches entering into Old Town, which is a very narrow geographic area, has been a problem that has been ongoing for years,” said Poul Hertel, president of Alexandria’s Old Town Civic Association and a member of the city’s Motorcoach Task Force.
“The idea here is to start a process that will make life easier for everyone,” Hertel said.
The city formed the task force to address mounting resident complaints about tourism buses, which can number 30 or more per day during the peak summer months.
Residents say the tourism vehicles, which each carry roughly 55 passengers, cause traffic congestion and contribute to air and noise pollution.
“The streets were designed for carriages and horses and carts, so you have some inherent conflicts if you don’t manage [traffic] real well,” said City Transportation Director Richard Baier, also a task force member.
Baier said the permits are a first step toward regulation of the city’s tourism buses, which, while occasionally unpopular among residents, are essential to the city’s economic well-being.
“The motorcoach industry brings patrons to local businesses and dollars to the city,” Baier said. “But we don’t want to destroy the historic fabric of Old Town. If you have vehicles blocking pedestrians and idling next to historic buildings, it takes away from the ambiance.”
In addition to the new parking permit program, city police officers will ensure buses load and unload passengers only in designated locations and do not sit idling for periods longer than 15 minutes.
City officials and task force members plan to reassess the bus regulation program later this year.
