What to Know
- Local drivers who park in certain Metro station lots without traveling on the Metrorail system will be charged higher fees starting Monday.
- Metro will no longer offer free Saturday parking in all of their lots. Riders will be charged a daily fee of $2 to park on Saturdays.
- The parking fee changes are estimated to create an additional $4 million in revenue for Metro to use toward transportation services.
Starting Monday, drivers who park at Metro stations could be paying more - or less - depending on where they park and whether or not they ride Metrorail.
Metro says 13 of its 44 stations with parking will require people who are not riding a train to pay at least $3.50 extra for a spot.
Those stations include:
- Green Line: Branch Ave, Greenbelt, Suitland
- Yellow Line: Huntington
- Orange Line: Dunn Loring, Minnesota Ave, New Carrollton
- Blue Line: Franconia-Springfield, Largo Town Center
- Silver Line: Largo Town Center
- Red Line: Rhode Island Ave, Rockville, Twinbrook, White Flint
Transportation
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To avoid being charged the higher parking fee, riders must pay with the same SmarTrip card they used to enter and exit Metrorail, and must exit the parking lot within 2 hours of the start of their last trip, Metro said.
Parking Fee Hours
Metro will adjust the hours when parking fees are collected to begin two hours earlier on weekdays and end one hour later on Fridays. Parking fees will also be collected on Saturdays.
Beginning Monday, parking fees will be in effect during the following hours:
- Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
- Friday 7:30 a.m. - 2 a.m.
- Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Weekend Changes
Until now, Metro has offered free parking on weekends in its garages and lots, but starting Saturday, Feb. 10, it will charge riders $2 on Saturdays. The fee is part of a pilot program. Parking on Sundays will remain free except when special event parking rules are in effect.
Lower Parking Rates for Some
Another pilot program that comes into effect Monday is a reduced parking fee at two stations: Landover and West Falls Church. People who park in these stations will be charged $3 for the day instead of the $4.70 and $4.95 respective charges currently in place.
The purpose of the $3 charge is “to study whether lower parking rates will increase demand for parking at underutilized Metro stations,” Metro said in a statement. The pilot program will be in place until July 2018 and could potentially become permanent.
Metro said the parking fee changes will result in an estimated $4 million in additional revenue.
