Thousands Of Parking Spots Open For Jan. 20

Metro is opening up thousands of spaces for automobiles at all but one Metrorail station parking lot on Inauguration Day, which means more parking for area residents, officials said yesterday.

Metro initially set aside parking for 1,100 charter buses at six designated parking lots in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. But low demand for the spots prompted the agency to change the policy. The agency has received only 35 requests to park charter buses in its lots Jan. 20, so it is no longer taking requests. Metro will accommodate charter companies that have made reservations.

The change means that Metro "can now offer nearly 60,000 spaces for automobiles to park," said Sara Wilson, Metro's assistant general manager of corporate strategy and communications.

It is not clear whether fewer charter buses are registering to park at Metro lots because the District has set aside parking areas within two miles of the Mall to accommodate about 10,000 of the vehicles. City transportation spokeswoman Karyn LeBlanc said there has been a "consistent stream of buses applying for trip permits" in the District.

A spokesman for the American Bus Association, which represents 800 independent bus operators, said the city's decision to reserve thousands of spaces close to inaugural events makes bus parking in the District much more attractive.

Streets in areas designated for charter bus parking will be closed to all vehicle traffic except charter buses, transit buses and official inaugural vehicles beginning at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 20.

These areas include a 50-block section of downtown between 21st Street on the west, 11th Street on the east, P Street on the north and K Street on the south. Bicycles and pedestrians will be permitted.

Motorists will now be able to park at Greenbelt on the Green Line in Prince George's County, Morgan Boulevard on the Blue Line in Prince George's County, and Van Dorn Street on the Blue Line in Fairfax County. The transit agency had announced last month that it was closing the three lots and limiting parking at Vienna and West Falls Church on the Orange Line in Fairfax County and at Shady Grove on the Red Line in Montgomery County.

The Minnesota Avenue parking lot, which has 333 spaces, will be closed to the public to provide parking for Metro employees working on Inauguration Day.

Metro parking facilities will open at 3:30 a.m. Jan. 20, and the agency will charge $4 (cash only) per automobile for parking at all its lots and garages.