City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: APRIL 9, 2026
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: LEAH RILEY, DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing of an Ordinance to amend and reordain Section 3-2-354 of Article S (PAYMENT, CONTEST AND ENFORCEMENT OF PARKING CITATIONS) of Chapter 2 (Taxation) of Title 3 (FINANCE, TAXATION AND PROCUREMENT) and Section 10-4-48 (PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS CHAPTER) of Chapter 4 (STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING) of Title 10 (MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC) of the Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, 1981, as amended.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: Consideration of an ordinance to increase the penalties for parking violations.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Introduce the proposed ordinance on first reading,
2. Set the ordinance for public hearing on Saturday, April 18, 2026, and
3. Set it for second reading and final passage on April 29, 2026, with budget adoption.
BACKGROUND: The City Code establishes regulations related to parking and sets the amount of a penalty to be issued for violation of these regulations. These penalties, referred to as parking citations, are issued by the Police Department, primarily by the Parking Enforcement Unit. In most cases, the penalty is $40. Some violations carry higher penalties, such as parking in a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane ($200) and parking in a space reserved for a person with a disability ($500). There are also escalating penalties established for parking heavy vehicles in commercial business areas ranging from $100 for the first violation to $350 for the third and subsequent violation.
DISCUSSION: The last time the amount of a parking citation was increased was in 2007, when it was increased from $25 to $40 for parking violations except for meter violations. In 2010, the parking cit...
Click here for full text