RTC Parking: How Do Rates Compare Nearby?

When Reston Town Center paid weekday parking goes into effect on Sept. 12, it will also have the distinction of being one of the most expensive garage systems in the area.

Reston Town Center will charge $2 an hour on weekdays, with a maximum of $24 a day. Parking will remain free on Saturdays and Sundays, and there will be validation and discounts from retailers that will bring costs down.

Reston Now (with the help of reader Suzanne Zurn, organizer of the Change.org petition against paid parking at RTC) took a look at some nearby retail complexes to see how the new plan stacks up.

First of all, here is where you can park for free:

• Tysons Corner Center
• Fairfax Corner
• One Loudoun
• Dulles Town Center
• Downtown Herndon
• Fairfax Square (Tiffany Plaza in Tysons)

Now here’s where you have to pay:

Reston Town Center Parking  – $2 per hour / max daily rate of $24.

Pentagon City Mall Parking – $2 for up to 2 hours / max daily rate of $18.

Rockville Town Square – $2 per hour / $3 for up to 1-2 hrs / max daily rate of $12.

Market Common Clarendon – $6 for up to 1 hour / $8 for up to 2 hours / max daily rate of $12.

Ballston Mall Parking – $1 for up to 3 hours / max daily rate of $10.

Mosaic District Parking – Free up to 5 hours.

Downtown Bethesda – $1.25 per hour in short-term parking (four hours hours or less) and .80 cents to $1 (depending on garage) per hour in long term parking (more than four hours). Street parking is $2 per hour for 1-2 hours.

Representatives for Boston Properties, which owns Reston Town Center, say paid parking has always been the plan for the 25-year-old town center. BP has invested in several high-tech features for the new system, including an app, ParkRTC, which will include a safety feature and ticketless and gateless payment.

“We realize moving from a free to a paid parking model gives some pause,” BP Executive Vice President Peter Johnston says. “However, Reston Town Center leadership continually focuses on strategies to enhance customer convenience, safety and overall quality of life. The technological integration is an enormous step in advancing both of these historical and worthwhile goals.”