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Valets wait for customers in front of Zaytinya in Chinatown. The District is considering a proposal that would allow private businesses, such as restaurants, to rent city parking spaces for use as pick-up and drop-off points for their valet parking services. Residents have 30 days to comment on the plan.
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Restaurants and other businesses in the District of Columbia will be able to lease public parking spaces to use as staging areas for their valet services under a program the city could implement in September.
The District Department of Transportation is considering regulations to create valet parking staging zones where customers could pick up or drop off their vehicles.
Alice Kelly, a DDOT program manager, said the agency began considering creating the zones three years ago. Chief among the complaints they heard:
» Citizens objected to valets trying to commandeer public spaces.
» Restaurants were upset that customers found using valet services difficult.
» City police reported issuing numerous tickets to vehicles that were double-parked while awaiting a valet.
“The situation had gotten out of control,” Kelly told The Examiner. “The concern was that valet parking is in no way regulated.”
Interested businesses would have to apply for a permit from the city before renting parking spots. Spaces will be leased for $15 a square foot, with the average space costing $2,400 a year.
The city will lease metered spots and, in some cases, loading zones that are not used during afternoons and evenings.
The District does not have an estimate for how many spaces its expects to lease, but establishments that rent metered spots will have to reimburse the city for the lost revenue. Lon Anderson, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said the space-rental program could benefit downtown businesses and diners coming into the District from Maryland and Virginia by making valet parking easier. More valet parking will also keep vehicles from occupying the metered spaces for several hours at a time, he added, keeping those spaces available for city residents or visitors that only need to park for 30 or 45 minutes.
“People do not mind paying for valet parking if it is convenient,” he said.
The public has 30 days to comment on the plan (available at www.ddot.dc.gov). If the District does not have to make substantive changes to its proposal after the comment period, the regulations will take effect in September, Kelly said.
jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com
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ARTICLE HISTORY 
Comments from Examiner Readers
2:32 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 4, 2008 re: "More solar-powered parking meters coming to Baltimore"
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1:20 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 25, 2008
re: "Supervisor’s measure could please opposing sides on parking issues"
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11:15 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 23, 2008
re: "Supervisor’s measure could please opposing sides on parking issues"
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10:01 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 23, 2008
re: "Supervisor’s measure could please opposing sides on parking issues"
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12:01 PM MST on Thu., May. 10, 2007
re: "Illegally parked? New system photographs it"
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9:33 AM MST on Thu., May. 10, 2007
re: "Illegally parked? New system photographs it"
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7:57 AM MST on Thu., May. 10, 2007
re: "Illegally parked? New system photographs it"
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4:45 AM MST on Thu., May. 10, 2007
re: "New ticket device puts illegal parkers on camera"
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Examiner Reader said:
On two separate occassions the meters did not work. The first time it took my money and did not deliver a receipt. The second time it took some of my money, spit out some and did not register some, but kept it. On the first occassion the authority said they would refund my money, but it has been over a month and I have received nothing. I'm waiting for a response to the second incident but not holding my breath
250 agree | 212 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"This is classic SF Progressive oppression of the poor. By not requiring below market rate units to provide parking, it makes life harder for the poor living there to have the same convenience regarding their cars as everyone else expects." WRONG--this measure will reduce the cost of apartments by $50,000-$80,000. That's a big chunk of change, especially for the poor, and above all for those who can't afford cars in the first place. Why should the government FORCE you to buy a parking space when you don't want one? All this rule is give you FREEDOM OF CHOICE.
181 agree | 195 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Right on Tom, poor people don't drive so why not take away their parking. You progressives give me the creeps. The minimum is ONE parking space for every FOUR units of housing and you want to take that away. Tom, you and Peskin need to Get A LIFE! I bet that Mr. Peskin has at least 2 parking spaces in his million dollar condo in Nothe Beach. Leave us alone!!!
195 agree | 201 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This is classic SF Progressive oppression of the poor. By not requiring below market rate units to provide parking, it makes life harder for the poor living there to have the same convenience regarding their cars as everyone else expects. It makes a hard life still harder. Sad.
186 agree | 216 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I have been in Baltimore for the last 5 years. I have a disability, because of which my lower limbs are paralyzed. Recently, I have found a spurt in disability tags for parking in the last couple of years. I surveyed 7 vehicles on Redwood street, and found five had disabled tag!!! I have found that some young people in early 20s park their vehicle and walk 5 blocks without any trouble, and I on a wheelchair is unable to get a parking place. Sometimes it has been frustrating. The cops cannot do anything, as long as these disability tags certified indiscriminately by family physicians. Unfortunately, carrying a "illegal" disabled tags no longer is a social stigma. It has become as acceptable as illegal license. I hope, this letter brings some sense of morality and social responsibility to those people using disabled tags. They should understand the hardship they are causing to the disabled community. Regards, Jeremy
342 agree | 362 disagree
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kilteddude said:
Does this mean they will stop ticketing legally parked cars? I've got 2 tickets in the last year while parked legally.
349 agree | 331 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
DAMN IT!
359 agree | 346 disagree
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Ticket Amnesty said:
Ticket fines in Baltimore are absurd....so, don't pay them. Request and officer when you go to court for your ticket+fines and if he/she doesn't show (they rarely, if ever will) you only have to pay the fine + court costs....goodbye $800 fine on $21 ticket.
641 agree | 369 disagree
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