JOINT BOARD MATTER
Supervisor Smyth and Kauffman
July 31, 2006
Metro Station Parking Policies and Bus Service

Mr. Chairman:

Greater integration and coordination of parking policies within transit oriented development projects is a necessary component to ensure that these projects function properly. Creative parking policies and strategies can help to encourage new residents to use transit and reduce reliance on the car and also help to facilitate the broader goal of better integration and coordination of land use and transportation planning. Transit oriented development adjacent to high concentration of parking at our metro stations can create a new interdependence and functional relationships.

However, we recognize that each Metro station is unique. Therefore, one parking policy should not dictate the needs of each transit station. The utilization of creative parking strategies including but not limited to such approaches as reserved spaces for vanpools and carpools, variable pricing and more flexible hours for reserved parking tailored to fit each transit station can help to simultaneously improve the operation of transit stations and facilitate station integration with the adjacent transit oriented development and it’s necessary Transportation Demand Management activity.

Motion:
To that end we move that the Board request that County staff in consultation with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) review Metro Station parking policies to determine the possibility of creating flexible parking policies tailored to fit the future functional needs of each metro station.

In recognition of the changing transit needs at our metro stations we further move that County staff in consultation with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) re-evaluate Metro and Connector Bus service needs at transit stations before new transit oriented developments are constructed to ensure that expanded bus service is coordinated to meet the anticipated demands for service in a timely fashion.