Nearly $9 Parking A Concern For Some At Franconia Metro

FRANCONIA, VA—With the beginning of paid parking on Saturdays, Metro will also have another frustrating surprise for commuters.

Starting Monday, Feb. 5, Metro is introducing an additional "non rider" charge onto parking fees meant for those that park at Metro and don't use the rail or bus systems. For commuters parking at the Franconia-Springfield Metro Station, that non-rider fee will be $8.95 on weekdays and Saturdays. The rider fee is $4.95 on weekdays and $2 on Saturdays.

But the $8.95 fee would apply for three kinds of riders:

• Anyone paying with a credit card
• Anyone paying with a SmarTrip card not used for their Metrorail or Metrobus ride
• Anyone paying with a SmarTrip card exiting the parking lot more than two hours after the start of their last Metrorail or Metrobus trip

The best way to avoid the steeper charge is to pay with the SmarTrip card immediately after exiting the Metro system. Drivers should also be aware of extended hours where parking fees will be charged. Fees will be collected two hours earlier on all weekdays and one hour later on Fridays. The new hours 7:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 7:30 a.m.-2 a.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m.-2 a.m. on Saturdays.

Weekday parking fees will only decrease at two stations: Landover and West Falls Church. See a full list of parking fee charges here.

How do you feel about the parking fee changes? Does it affect your willingness to ride Metro? Let us know in the comments or on the Kingstowne Patch Facebook.

Image via Patch editor Emily Leayman