City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: APRIL 22, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: LEAH RILEY, DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
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Consideration of a Resolution to Increase the Parking Meter and Pay by Phone Rates. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
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ISSUE: Consideration of a Resolution to Increase the Parking Meter and Pay by Phone Rates.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Approve the resolution increasing the parking meter rate to $2.75 and any pay by phone rates that are currently less than $2.75 to $2.75 (Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND: Metered parking areas include Old Town along King Street and one to two blocks north and south, Carlyle and Eisenhower East, Potomac Yard, and Oakville Triangle. Most meters are in effect Monday-Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., although meters in Potomac Yard end at 6 p.m. With the exception of six blocks that have an all-day rate, parking at the meter is limited to 2-3 hours. See Attachment 2 for parking meter locations.
Section 5-8-93(c) of the City Code authorizes the City Council to establish meter rates by resolution. The current meter rate of $1.75 per hour has been in place since 2010, when it was increased from $1.00 per hour. The four City garages and two lots in Old Town are within metered blocks and charge $2.00 per hour, although the Courthouse Square Garage offers a reduced weekend rate of $1 per hour. Private garages in the area average $6-$15 an hour.
Within existing residential permit parking (RPP) districts, residents can request additional residential pay by phone restrictions that require individuals from outside of that district to pay to park on the block. Pay by phone blocks must be adjacent to a metered block or another block with these restrictions. Currently, there are over 30 blocks with these restrictions, with the majority located south of King Street and east of Washington Street. Rates for residential pay by phone fees are currently set at the existing meter rate of $1.75 per hour, although 11 of these blocks are approved for a higher rate of $3.00 per hour due to higher parking demand on the block. Pursuant to section 5-8-84(b)(1), the hourly pay by phone parking fee is set by resolution of the City Council.
DISCUSSION: Pricing and restrictions are key tools in managing parking, ensuring turnover and parking availability, and have become more important as demand for the curb increases from uses other than parking, including parklets, pick up and drop off zones, and accessible bus stops. The current meter rate of $1.75 has been in place for over 15 years and no longer represents the value of the space for parking. Staff recommends updating the rate to better manage this asset and encourage better utilization of the City’s off-street parking facilities. The $1.00 increase to $2.75 per hour is comparable to rates the surrounding jurisdictions charge for parking, as summarized in Attachment 3.
The Traffic and Parking Board reviewed the proposed parking meter fee increase at their meeting on May 19, 2025, and voted 7-0 to recommend the Council approve the increase. The Board recommended a larger increase to $3.00 per hour than staff has proposed.
FISCAL IMPACT: Increasing the meter and pay by phone fees to $2.75 would generate approximately $2.4 million in additional revenue. This was determined using existing revenue and transaction data and adjusting by 5% to account for fewer transactions due to the increased rates. There will be a small administrative cost to update the meter software to reflect the new rate.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution
Attachment 2: Meter Locations
Attachment 3: Meter Rates in Other Jurisdictions
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, P.E., Deputy City Manager
Cheran Ivery, City Attorney
Lindsay Dubin, Assistant City Attorney
Hillary Orr, Deputy Director, T&ES
Katye North, Division Chief, T&ES, Mobility Services
Sheila McGraw, Principal Planner, T&ES, Mobility Services