Parking Meter Violations Majority Of Citations In Old Town Enforcement Program

ALEXANDRIA, VA — After a traffic enforcement pilot program took off in 2024 in Old Town, the Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board received a mid-year update on the program Monday.

The city had recruited third-party contractor Reimagine Parking, a third-party contractor, to do parking enforcement in Old Town. The contractor was hired to supplement existing parking enforcement and could issue citations but not towing, vehicle relocation or booting. The main enforcement area is King Street from the waterfront to the Metro station and two blocks north and south of King Street. The goal of the program is to address illegal parking, encourage turnover of parking spots near businesses, and improve safety, according to the city.

The report on the traffic enforcement program says 20,529 citations have been issued from January to Aug. 26. The large majority were expired parking meter violations — 18,222. Other citations included 794 for state inspection violations, 660 for loading zone violations, 327 for residential zone violations, 253 for official signage violations, 18 for fire hydrant violations, seven for handicap space violations and 248 other violations.

The report noted lower King Street was a hot spot for violations like official signage violations, meter expirations, residential zone time restrictions, and unpermitted food trucks. Fayette Alley was found to have loading zone concerns.

There have been some bumps in the road for the enforcement program, but the city says it meets with the contractor twice a month to discuss concerns. The community had reported concerns like contractors not allowing proper time for loading or unloading in loading zones, residential zone violations being issued for residents with valid stickers, and incorrect plate numbers on citations. Another concern was "aggressive meter monitoring," with contractors not allowing time for residents to pay at the meter.

The city says contractors received additional training to allow a 15-minute grace period for loading and unloading, as well as advising them to not monitor certain blocks and not issue citations as soon as a vehicle parks. For the incorrect license plate entries, Alexandria Police has requested supervisors get contractors to check entries for accuracy.

For the residential sticker violations, these stickers typically appear on the rear bumper. But due to stickers fallen off or being stolen, the city has allowed residents to display stickers in the left windshield. Contractors have been notified of the change.

According to the city, contractors do not respond to calls for service and cannot access police radios and computers.

Residents can find more information on the enforcement pilot program on the city's website. Questions or concerns about parking enforcement can be directed to the Alexandria Police non-emergency number at 703-746-4444.