There are some big changes coming to the way we park at area Metro stations.
Starting Monday, Feb. 5, Washington’s subway system will expand it’s paid parking hours at multiple stations, and it will institute a new fee for those who park at stations but do not use the Metro system.
During the week, Metro will start collecting parking $4.75 per day parking fee at the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station at 7:30 a.m., two hours earlier than it had been collecting the fee before on weekdays, and one hour later on Fridays.
The new parking hours fee hours are:
Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Friday 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Also for the first time, drivers will be charged a $2 parking fee on Saturday.
There will also be higher fares for those who park at a Metro station but do not get on the train. Those fees will range between $8.70 and $10 per day.
How will Metro know you parked in the lot and didn’t get on the train?
In order to pay for parking at Metro lots, an electronic SmarTrip card is the primary form of payment. After parking their cars, drivers who don’t swipe their cards to later get into the Metro system and onto a train will be charged the higher rate.
If you did ride the train, to ensure you get the lower parking rate, riders must exit the parking garage no more than two hours after the start of their last trip on a Metro train.
There are only a handful of stations charging a non-rider fee, and in Virginia, they include Franconia-Springfield on the Blue Line, Huntington on the Yellow, and Dunn Loring on the Orange.
Metro urges anyone using a commuter benefits card to pay for parking to contact their employer to transfer the balance of that card a SmarTrip card.
It’s important to note that parking rates are not increasing, and the rates vary by station. You can use the drop-down box on this site to find your station and the applicable parking fees.
It’s also important to note: Weekday parking rates at the West Falls Church station will decrease $1.95 to $3 a day. It’s called an “adjusted daily parking fee,” and it’s part of a pilot program to see if the lower cost will help to increase parking demand at this underutilized station.
Virginia Railway Express
The changes could also affect Virginia Railway Express riders who park at Franconia-Springfield to board the commuter railroad train at the VRE station adjacent to the Franconia-Springfield Metro station.
VRE urges its riders to park at a different lot.
On 2/5 riders at Franconia-Springfield may pay additional parking fees. VRE riders who do not want to incur the additional fee, may park free at the VRE Backlick Road or Lorton stations.
— VRE (@VaRailXpress) February 2, 2018
