Parking Meeting: Nov. 1

By Ed Solomon, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 2E01

I have scheduled a Burleith parking and transportation meeting for Thursday, November 1, 6:30 pm, at Washington International School. 

There have been complaints from all parts of our community about lack of enforcement. Some residents have complained “they have never seen it this bad.” Most but not all of the impacts to the community are from patients, visitors, and hospital personnel. They are taking their chances on parking in the community hoping they will not be ticketed if they exceed the allowable two hours. We will address enforcement issues.

Most of the influx is a result of lack of parking on the MedStar Hospital campus and getting patients to appointments when they arrive by car. As many of you have experienced, Reservoir Road eastbound from Foxhall has been a traffic nightmare. A staging curb lane to enter Entrance Two was started this week. Although a few tweaks must be made to operate as intended, positive results were immediately observed for eastbound Reservoir Road traffic flow.  

The hospital will participate in the November 1 meeting as will Duke Ellington School of the Arts. I have been concerned about large events creating parking impacts in Burleith. As you recall, Duke Ellington has an 800-seat state-of-the-art auditorium. We will discuss what Duke Ellington is doing to address our concerns and what options we have as a community to reduce the impact. In the past, these events have impacted half of Burleith.

I am presently reaching out to the Department of Public Works, Metropolitan Police Department, Department of Transportation, Mayor’s Office, and Councilmember Evans’s office  to be represented.

Some may feel they don't have a parking issue on their street. That may be true. However, tell that to the folks who live on the 1900 blocks of 38th and 39th Streets. I have never had the complaints that I now receive from that part of the community. 

We have tools to address our parking concerns. They include but are not limited to improved enforcement, extending the RPP to 9:30 pm, and changing the hours on parking meters from four hours to two hours (to increase turnover).

Bring your ideas. Everything is on the table. Remember, if we make a change in one part of the community, there may be a ripple effect in your area. I want to hear from you.o