A more cost-effective and equitable parking plan

We can cut costs and have a parking plan that's more fair and easier to enforce.

Issue each unit one parking permit, for the RESERVED spaces only, to hang from their rear-view mirror. It would have the unit number on both sides in bold letters about an inch tall.

I was at an apartment complex in Herndon today that does this. They use a plastic permit about the size of a cell phone.

Currently each of the 220 units have an assigned space, and are allotted two stickers each to park in the 68 unassigned (RESERVED) spaces — no sticker is required for owners (and whoever they permit) to park in their assigned space.

The problem is that this plan can have 440 cars competing for 68 RESERVED spaces. It’s also costly to administer.

Issue one movable permit, bearing the owner’s unit number, to each owner. The owner, or his guests, may then use this permit to park in any RESERVED space.

This proposal would not change the use of assigned spaces, but there would then be 220 cars (instead of 440 cars) competing for the 68 RESERVED spaces.

It would reduce administration costs because each owner gets one permit with their unit number (no need for street names since unit numbers do not duplicate).

The management agent would not have to track who has what permit. Parking enforcers would need only to see if cars in RESERVED spaces have the movable permit. Unit owners would not have the hassle of sending registration information to the management agent.

If an owner loses the pass, do what Arlington County does, issue a new permit at the beginning of the next year.