Tag Archives: meters

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“Meter Panic” starts in 3…2…1…

Photo courtesy of
‘wheat pennies bw’
courtesy of ‘christaki’

Are you ready for some frothing? Get set, but put your thinking caps on before you consume the media insanity that’s going to surround this.

Specifically, today’s story from WTOP about how much money the District’s parking enforcement group brings in: 25 times what is collected in Fairfax County, and a per-resident rate that’s ten times what Los Angeles brings in. Other breakdowns in the article include fine revenue by parking space and comparison of the number of spaces in D.C. vs Montomery County.

Omitted is any mention of the fact that the number of people in the District doubles during the workday, a fact that makes the comparison to L.A. or Fairfax a little questionable. It also calls into question how you can talk about the number of meters in D.C. versus MoCo without mentioning the fact that MoCo has 6.5 times the total land area as the District.

An article with not enough math is just as bad as an article with incorrect math. Be a skeptical news consumer.

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D.C. Parking Injustice – Tow Me… Blow Me…


Law enforcement scofflaws
Originally uploaded by philliefan99

Did you hear me Mr. Fenty and Ms. Babers? D.C.’s quest to now emulate Chicago with the new administration has reached new lows. As the Democrats and Obama administration have been touting friendliness to green technologies, smart transportation alternatives, and conservation, the city they now hold a majority in,  took a TWELVEFOLD step backwards. I had created the D.C. Motorcycle parking map of the Metro region to help those folks on two wheels track down ever vanishing spots (one set is in center court in the Verizon Center… how convenient), and since most garages do not allow motorcycles in, it’s necessary. Over this past weekend, the D.C. Parking Authority (aka, the D.C. DMV) cranked up the rates without warning for the motorcycle spots to be commensurate with the rates for cars (or even more so), from 12 hour meters which were 25 cents for an hour and 24 minutes, to now 7 minutes per quarter… a loss of 77 minutes 92% of your parking value… WTF?! It shocked most folks parking on the G Street meters (which until the beginning of last year were free) on the west side of the Old Executive Office Building so much, that today, EVERY bike has decided not to pay. Seriously D.C., are you trying to discourage smart commuting?

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