20 Cameras To Monitor Garage in Manassas

Parking Structure First In VRE to Get System

A camera surveillance system meant to curb vandalism and protect passengers will be installed in the Manassas parking garage, Virginia Railway Express officials said.

On Friday, the commuter-rail service's operations board authorized VRE chief executive Dale Zehner to issue a request for proposals for the purchase and installation of a 20-camera system. Although cameras already monitor some VRE platforms in the region, this will be the first of VRE's three parking structures to have a surveillance system.

"It is good safety practice for unattended garages to have a monitoring system," said Jonathan L. Way, a Manassas City Council member and VRE board member. "This is something we have contemplated since the garage opened."

The surveillance system will be paid for with money left over from the $12.7 million garage project, which was completed in August 2008. The cameras require about five weeks to install and will monitor the interior and exterior of the garage, which is used by VRE commuters and the City of Manassas.

VRE and Manassas officials will have access to the system, and Manassas police will respond when incidents occur. Zehner said the garage has had no recent problems. When it opened, the garage was the site of several vandalism cases -- mainly graffiti -- and illegal skateboarding.

The VRE operations board also approved a resolution Friday that makes Spotsylvania County a member of the commuter-rail service and the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission.

The resolution says Spotsylvania County will officially join VRE Feb. 15, although it has until mid-January to back out, which could happen after Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors elections in November. VRE officials said they applaud the county's decision to join and are cautiously optimistic that the agreement will hold.

"We are not going to let political considerations drive our actions," said VRE board Vice Chairman Paul V. Milde III. "We're going to move forward with this as if they intend to stay in VRE."

If the agreement stands, Zehner said that he expects Spotsylvania to pay about $1.5 million annually to VRE, which could "slightly" lower the subsidies other jurisdictions pay out of their gas tax funds to support VRE.

For fiscal 2010, Prince William County has budgeted roughly $8.7 million for VRE and PRTC, and Manassas has budgeted about $883,400 solely for VRE, budget officials from the two jurisdictions said.