Suburban Metro passengers, already facing stiff increases in daily parking fees, may soon also have a harder time finding available spaces.

Under the fare-increase plan the transit system’s board of directors is sending out for public comment, Metro would expand the number of spots in its reserved-parking program.

Board members from Fairfax County and the Maryland suburbs don’t like that idea.

Though offering more spots to passengers willing to pay to guarantee their availability brings more revenue to Metro, the suburban representatives worry the move will hurt riders who do not fork over the extra money.

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Reserved spots, which are off-limits to the general riding public until 10 a.m. on weekdays, are often unused, the board members said. They worry that as those spaces sit empty, other area residents who would otherwise use Metro will resort to driving to work because they cannot find parking.

Dana Kauffman, who represents Fairfax County, likened the proposal to “robbing a bank” because he considers the expansion a money grab without regard to good transit policy.

“The people pushing this have never experienced the frustration of being late for work and not being able to park in empty spots because they’re reserved,” Kauffman said.

Of Metro’s 57,000 parking spaces at its rail stations, about 9,000 are available to be reserved for a $45 monthly fee.

“Those parking spots should be used by transit riders,” said Michael Snyder, chairman of Metro’s Riders Advisory Council. “It doesn’t do any good to have those spots just sit empty every morning.”

The system has about 1,300 people on waiting lists for reserved spaces. Under the approved proposal, 3,500 existing general parking spaces would be converted to reserved spots. The monthly fee would also grow to $55. The plan would raise about $3.4 million annually.

“We have a lot of people willing to pay for a reserved parking space,” D.C. Council Member Jim Graham said. “That money will help us eliminate the budget shortfall we’re facing.”

jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com

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