The ticket writer wagged a finger at Angie Hunter and warned against parking along 18th Street in Adams Morgan. Hunter responded with an angry wave of the $20 citation she had received for violating a new parking restriction in the heart of the nightclub corridor.
On Friday, the sun gave way to a warm spring night as the beat of conga drums drifted out of clubs featuring Latin and reggae music. Patrons in linen shirts and open-toed shoes headed to dinner, drinks and dancing. Meanwhile, a handful of District ticket writers and police officers on bicycles were implementing new rules that are aimed at easing traffic congestion.
On Fridays and Saturdays, until Sept. 30, no parking will be permitted from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. on the west side of 18th Street between Columbia and Kalorama roads, District transportation officials said. The pilot program is expected to relieve the gridlock on weekend nights in the Northwest strip by opening an extra traffic lane on 18th Street for vehicles to drop off and pick up restaurant and nightclub patrons without blocking southbound traffic. During the restricted hours, 18 metered spaces will be unavailable for parking.
Many business owners and activists welcome an attempt to ease the steady flow of cars on neighborhood streets. Parking and congestion have long been highly contentious issues for area residents and businesses.
But the first night of the new restrictions brought more angst from drivers than traffic relief.
At 9:05 p.m., Hunter's Honda Accord was the first vehicle ticketed.
"This is outrageous. . . . The sign just appeared this week," said Hunter, 32, a teacher who has lived in Adams Morgan the past eight years. She parked her car at 6 p.m. but didn't find her ticket until 10 p.m.
Hunter said that in addition to new parking restriction signs, officials should post temporary signs on the parking meters to warn motorists who otherwise might not realize they must now move their cars by 9 p.m. Still, Hunter said, she welcomes any effort to relieve the traffic congestion.
Dan Tangherlini, the city's transportation department director, said the department will closely monitor how the new regulations work, especially if traffic flows too quickly, endangering pedestrians and the ambience of the street. Officials will review the effect of the pilot program before deciding whether to make it permanent.
Officials also said reducing traffic congestion will help police and emergency vehicles move through the busy area.
"This is something we've talked about in Adams Morgan for 20 years," said D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1). "It's just a trial. The signs went up; they can quickly come down. We're just so clogged."
Parking service employees and police officers spent Friday night warning drivers. On 18th Street, Parking Services Administrator Teri Doke Adams tapped a "No Parking" sign with her finger to ward off a candy-apple red Porsche.
