The 72-hour rule is used to support parking turnover. Abandoned vehicle enforcement and removal is done through a separate process. For abandoned vehicles, the City has the authority to remove a vehicle after 48-hours of monitoring. This authority is granted to Alexandria by the state. Please see State Code §46.2-1200 and §46.2-1201.

Per existing City Code language, the 72-hour rule applies to all vehicles--including vehicles registered in the City with residential parking permit stickers.

Per existing City Code language, the 72-hour rule applies to all vehicles--including vehicles whose owners have no off-street parking.

The City reviewed the 72-hour rule per direction from City Council.

There are trade-offs associated with the rule as it exists today. On one hand, the rule supports parking turnover, but not necessarily space availability. On the other hand, the rule is not flexible and may impact residents who have on-street parking needs.

The rule supports parking turnover: The rule can be employed to encourage an individual to move his/her car from a particular space. For example, if a vehicle was parked directly in front of one's home for an extended period of time, the homeowner could report the vehicle to the Alexandria Police Department (APD) to help encourage the car to move, thereby opening the space up in front of the home. APD would send a parking enforcement officer to place a check-notice on the offending vehicle, which would warn the owner of a pending citation or vehicle impoundment. Roughly 83% of the time, vehicles with check-notices move prior to an officer's follow-up; however, vehicles are often found parking within the vicinity of the space that they had previously occupied. This suggests that the rule is indeed a tool for parking turnover, but isn't a tool to increase the availability of on-street parking as check-notices typically do no result in a net gain of available parking spaces.

The rule is not flexible: Many residents feel that the rule is too rigid. In particular, residents without dedicated off-street parking have expressed that they may have occasions in which they need to park on-street for an extended period of time. Such needs are often related to business travel, vacations, or temporary personal injury. Residents also have suggested that sometimes the rule is used as a tool in neighbor vs. neighbor conflicts.

Council directed City staff to review the rule to assess:

1. whether or not the benefits to residents outweigh the costs to residents
2. whether or not other solutions would be viable to balance the need for parking turnover with the need for flexibility

This program allows residents to apply for an exemption that:

• allows residents to park a vehicle on-street for up to two weeks
• can be provided to a vehicle a maximum of five times per year

Residents who receive the exemption are still be subject to any on-street parking restrictions. This means a resident who does not hold a Residential Parking Permit (RPP) decal would still be subject to existing restrictions within an RPP district. It also means that a resident who lives outside of an RPP district  would only be able to park in a location with no existing restriction signage. Residents with an exemption need to park within 1/8 mile of their place of residence. For reference, this is about two City blocks in Old Town.

The exemption will be administered through an online system managed by the City. Residents will fill out an online form noting their name, place of residence, vehicle plate, make, model, and duration of the requested exemption. 

Based on public feedback compiled from an AlexEngage Questionnaire, a public open-house, subcommittee meetings of the Traffic and Parking Board, a Traffic and Parking Board hearing, email, and phone calls, some residents believe this rule is important to encourage turnover of spaces. Other residents counter that vehicles simply move to other spaces on the same block. It is important to note that while there may be no net gain in the number of available spaces after the placement of a check notice, there may be value in encouraging a vehicle to move from a particular space (i.e. it may be satisfactory to the property owner of the adjacent space).

Based on public feedback compiled from an AlexEngage Questionnaire, a public open-house, subcommittee meetings of the Traffic and Parking Board, a Traffic and Parking Board hearing, email, and phone calls, some residents feel that their vehicles have been targeted by neighbors. The introduction of an exemption pilot may provide these individuals with a moderate amount of relief. Additionally, this rule is frequently discussed. In 2004, the Traffic and Parking Board held a hearing on the rule; however, no action was taken. If no action is taken during this review, it is likely that staff will be requested to revisit this issue again in future years. The provision of a pilot allows staff the opportunity to test a potential solution. At the culmination of the pilot period, staff will assess the exemption to assess its value, as well as make any tweaks to better address residents’ needs.

The proposed exemptions will not impact APD’s current enforcement practices, which are primarily report-driven. When APD receives a citizen report on a potential infraction of the 72-hour rule, they will simply reference the travel exemption database prior to placing a check notice on a vehicle.

Individuals will not be compelled to register their vehicles for an exemption. In other words, the City is not requiring residents to take advantage of this provision. Residents who have concerns related to sharing data via an online platform have a number of other options. They may choose to not pursue a permit and park on-street, accepting the risk associated with enforcement. They may also coordinate with neighbors on moving vehicles while away. Residents may alternatively seek off-street solutions, either in neighbor’s driveways, through the lease of an off-street commercial space, or in a parking garage such as the lots available at Reagan Airport. These options are beyond the purview of the City.

When individuals call to report potential infractions and an exemption is noted in the system, APD’s parking enforcement team will reference the location of the vehicle against the exemption holder’s place of residence.

Individuals who do not have access to the internet will be able to call parking enforcement, which will input the data into the system for the resident.