Reston Town Center merchants report a significant drop in sales from this time last year.
Now, an estimated 60 of those merchants are considering a lawsuit against Boston Properties over what they see as the cause of that decline — the installation of paid parking.
Aaron Mervis, who runs RTC’s Big Bowl, is one of the organizers of the group. Mervis, who has been in restaurant management since 2000, said he has never seen anything quite like this.
“I’ve never seen the amount of customers that are upset and are just flat-out boycotting the Town Center as a whole,” Mervis said. “As for retailers, I’ve never seen the amount of different retailers grouping together. Usually, when I’m talking to other retailers, it’s seeing what we can do to help cross-market each other’s brands. Talking about protesting and lawsuits, that’s unprecedented.”
Boston Properties initiated paid parking at Reston Town Center on Jan. 3. Backlash from the community, particularly on social media, began quickly thereafter. Mervis said RTC restaurants have been gathering to fight since the paid-parking plan was first proposed by Boston Properties last year, and retailers have since joined the groundswell as well.
Mervis also runs Wildfire restaurant at Tysons Galleria, and he said the trickle-down effect of the parking controversy reaches there as well.
“People are openly talking about it at the bar, saying they are only there because their friends won’t meet them anymore in Reston, or they themselves refuse to park in Reston,” he said.
Cosmetics store Origins closed in mid-January, citing paid parking as one of the reasons. The Bike Lane also announced last month it is actively seeking relocation outside of the Town Center.
Mervis said estimates provided by Town Center merchants show a 10-50 percent decline in sales from January 2016. He said Big Bowl validates two hours’ parking for its customers, but the system doesn’t make sense from neither the business’s nor the customers’ standpoint.
“A $4 beer and $4 for parking, that doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “Our customers are appreciative that we’re doing it… but they still say they’re not coming back. They say it’s too much of a hassle.”
The merchants are planning a meeting Monday at Vapiano restaurant (1875 Explorer Street) to continue to discuss their future plans, including potential litigation. In a press release, reasons for their unrest are spelled out:
Besides being onerous, the system itself is driving people away. It includes:
— Having to download an app, which customers say is confusing, does not work well
— Pay stations are often not working and confusing
— Little or no assistance from Boston Properties and no way to explain the system to non-English speakers
— Confusion: Some retailers have provisions allowing free guest parking in one lot but not another
— Filled parking spots forcing guests to park in a different lot where a retailer may not validate (not all retailers can afford to purchase validation codes for all lots)
— Overnight charges for restaurant guests who have been drinking and want to leave their cars overnight while they walk/taxi/Uber home
— Forcing guests to park in nearby development and angering tenants
— There is no quick parking accommodation for guests to do pickups, dropoffs, etc.
— Unclear rules about weekend parking (holidays? Fridays nights?)
— Validation codes have major limitations (guests must change garages to have their ticket validated for both a movie and dinner at certain restaurants)
— Guests with disabilities without smartphones must find a pay station (not conveniently located)There are also issues which affect the retailers:
— Negative publicity has spilled over to the retailers
— Employees are affected and are looking for other work
— All retailers are charged the same fee to validate parking (bad for small retailers)
— Employee parking is inconsistent and difficult to manage
— Parking security is not trained to help or answer questions
— Retailers are struggling to hold weekday events because people who would attend do not want to deal with paid parking
— Boston Properties has made changes without notification
“This is unbelievable, what’s happening, what they’re doing,” Mervis said. “Guests don’t want to deal with this. They just want to come in and eat.”
Rob Weinhold, spokesperson for Boston Properties, said it would be “inappropriate” for the real estate trust to speculate on or respond to the merchants’ legal threats. However, when contacted by Reston Now, he did wish to clear up “misinformation” about parking validation “that requires immediate clarification:”
“Each retailer and restaurateur, at their sole discretion, decide[s] which garages they choose to validate. As previously communicated, each retailer and restaurateur makes their own business decision about (1) participating in the validation program and (2) what validation terms they choose to incorporate within their unique business model, to include validating for all or select garages.”
Mervis said his restaurant is trying to do the right thing for customers by validating parking, but the end result is hurting their bottom line.
“We’re paying the same price as the guest pays,” he said. “We spent $1,600 in January to validate parking, and at our price point, that has drastic effects for us.”
The Bike Lane has been serving its customers in Reston Town Center for going on nine years.
Now, the owners of the store say they are actively seeking to leave because of the Town Center’s new paid-parking initiative.
In a recent Facebook post, The Bike Lane said its customers should not be forced to pay to shop there — and because that is now the case, they want to set up shop elsewhere.
“We believe in providing our customers with an amazing shopping experience and we do not agree with charging for parking. We are actively looking to relocate The Bike Lane in or around Reston and we will keep you updated about our future plans as they progress.”
Todd Mader owns the shop along with his wife, Anne. He tells Reston Now they only have a little over a year left on a 10-year lease and they have every intention of leaving early.
“This is not the experience we want our customers to have, to come in here during the week and battle with a parking app,” Mader said. “They come in here to buy a $10 inner tube and now they’re paying $12.”
The store is offering customers in-store credits and gift cards to compensate them for weekday parking. But Mader said in the long run, the hassle isn’t worth it when the store can just relocate.
“We were hoping parking wouldn’t be a big deal,” he said. “But if given the opportunity to move sooner rather than later, we’d do that.”
Mader said the parking situation has never been ideal for many of his customers, who may have bicycles attached to the roof or the back of their vehicle and may therefore find parking garages difficult to navigate. Now that it costs by the hour as well, he’s had enough.
“Having a space that’s more traditional, open-air shopping… that’s more what we’re looking for,” Mader said.
Social media backlash has been heavy on Reston Town Center and its owner, Boston Properties, because of the new parking fees, with many people threatening a “boycott.” However, Mader said the result of that hurts businesses such as his more than anyone.
“That’s not hurting [the Town Center and Boston Properties], not directly anyway. That’s hurting the merchant — big and small,” he said. “There is a noticeable drop in the plaza during the week. Friday night was dead, in the restaurants and in foot traffic.”
Mader said his hope is to relocate the store within a mile of its current location, so it can continue to serve its loyal patrons.
“We’re overwhelmed by the support of our customers,” he said. “We want to make it very convenient for people to find us and continue to shop with us.”
Paid parking at Reston Town Center is still coming.
While the postponement until January of the app-based paid parking system ($2 an hour on weekdays) may seem like a victory for those in favor of free parking, it is only a temporary one.
A source familiar with the thinking of Boston Properties, which owns town center, says there is “no indication” to amend the plans, which feature the app; a safety component called LiveSafe; a complicated Bluetooth-enabled validation feature at some merchants; the ability to pay by cash or credit card at four kiosks; and wayfinding systems to determine locations of available spots.
According to the source, the backlash from thousands of consumers (both in an online petition and in comments of Reston Now and other news and social media sites) had nothing to do with the delay.
Rather, the system is complicated (also a top complaint from users, along with privacy concerns). Boston Properties said it needs additional time to “educate” merchants and Reston Town Center visitors how to use it.
“Boston Properties wanted more time for outreach,” said Rob Weinold, the communications rep hired by the RTC owner for the parking rollout, which has been scheduled to be put in place on Sept. 12.
“We will be working with merchants,” he said. “We will be doing outreach at events such as concerts. We will update out FAQs on our website and doing ads and promotions. We need to get people more comfortable with the technology.”
As of Thursday, about 6,500 people have downloaded the ParkRTC app, Weinhold said.
But at least that many are likely saying they refuse to download the app because privacy concerns. Still more are saying they will avoid the town center altogether when they have to pay to park.
And still more take issue with the idea that they need more instructions and education, as Boston Properties said earlier this week.
Said these commenters on Reston Now’s Facebook page:
Really? We don’t need no education (to quote Pink Floyd). We’re just not going to add this app on our smart phones. … and we’re not going to pay to eat and shop. Period. …
Additional time to educate customers? It’s truly hilarious that Boston Properties thinks the public believes this baloney. They are just worried about losing revenue from holiday shoppers. The fact that they had to start a gift card raffle in order to entice people to download the app speaks volumes. …
I think it is Boston Properties that needs some education. We the consumers know what we want…free parking. Perhaps they will get it when their tenants move out because they are losing the foot traffic they depend on.
What say you? Will additional time and instructions make pay parking easier for you? Or have you gotten the message loud and clear already?
It’s Sept. 1. That means free parking at Reston Town Center will soon be a thing of the past.
In case you have been out of town this summer, Reston Now will fill you in the details.
Boston Properties says it needs to discourage commuter parking in Reston Town Center’s seven parking garage. It will begin charging $2 an hour on weekdays (and nights) starting Monday, Sept. 12.
Saturdays, Sundays and special events will remain free.
Parking will be a with a gateless and ticketless system. Visitors must download the ParkRTC app to automatically pay by credit card. If a visitor does not want the app, he or she can pay at a credit card kiosk located in four of the garages.
Here are more details on everything you need to know:
Why Boston Properties calls this an enhancement
What will happen if I don’t pay
What may happen in the longterm
Citizens are still working on a petition in protest of the move
Representatives from Boston Properties want to assure users that additional privacy measures are going into place for visitors to Reston Town Center.
New technological features (electronic parking availability signage; app-based payment; Bluetooth-enabled validation; and a GPS/license plate car locater system) are about to go live at Reston Town Center prepares to switch to paid parking on Sept. 12.
Earlier this week, Reston Now reported that by typing a license plate number into the Park Assist app, anyone with a computer could find out where your car was parked.
Kathy Walsh, spokesman for Reston Town Center’s paid parking rollout, says that issue was related to testing done by Park Assist and has been remedied.
“That issue has been addressed to prevent it from happening again,” she said in an email. “The ‘Find My Car’ feature will ONLY be available by using the pay stations located onsite at the Reston Town Center garages.” Read More
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.”
Several Reston Now readers have checked out the “Find My Car” kiosk now in use at Reston Town Center parking garages.
They don’t like what they — or pretty much anyone — can see.
The Find My Car electronic kiosk, touted by RTC owner Boston Properties as a perk of parking in the RTC garages, is aimed at helping you locate where you parked.
When you return to the garage, you can punch in your license plate number. The screen will show you a picture of your parked car, as well as info on space number.
Some users are calling that a violation of privacy, however.
Reston resident Mary Brett recently posted this on a local listserv and also messaged Boston Properties with her concerns:
“Yesterday, I became aware of the extremely dangerous ‘find your car’ computer in the garage next to Jackson’s. Once I typed my license plate number on the homepage, it revealed a very large, sharp photo of me exiting my vehicle alone. Once I tapped on the photo, it located my vehicle on a map.
Didn’t ANYONE realize that this machine is a stalker’s dream machine to hunt down prey?!? Angry ex? Bad boyfriend? Stalker? Robber? Rapist?”
The “Find My Car” software is part of the electronic upgrades that are being installed at Reston Town Center as paid parking prepares to go into effect on Sept. 12.
Parking will be $2 an hour on weekdays (Saturdays and Sundays remain free). RTC management is encouraging visitors to download the ParkRTC App for gateless and ticketless payment, as well as parking discounts and validation. There is also a LiveSafeRTC portion of the app, where visitors can report suspicious incidents and easily communicate with RTC security.
But some would-be visitors say they have issues with town center and the app developers, Passport Parking, having their credit card numbers, license plate numbers, and GPS location.
Brett calls the picture of her at RTC a “gross invasion of privacy.”
“Your seemingly innocent ‘innovation’ is both dangerous and a gross invasion of my privacy,” she told BP. “I never consented to you taking my photo, my vehicle’s photo, and providing this information to anyone perusing your public machine!” Read More
Reston Town Center is going to paid parking next month, and more than 6,000 signatures protesting that development are very unlikely to change that at this point.
More than 6,600 people have signed a Change.org petition organized by Reston’s Suzanne Zurn. The petition is titled “Stop Paid Parking at Reston Town Center.”
Rob Weinhold, Boston Properties’ spokesperson for mobile pay parking and mobile safety communications programs, says he is aware of the pushback and welcomes feedback, but the $2-an-hour system is a done deal beginning Sept. 12.
“Boston Properties deeply respects the various perspectives of those who passionately care about this issue,” Weinhold said in an email. “The Reston Town Center management team is listening; in fact, several policies were enacted based, in part, on customer feedback: free weekend and holiday parking, free parking for retailers and a soft touch approach to enforcement.”
However, Boston Properties, which owns Reston Town Center, is not bending on paid parking in general. A significant investment has already been made in developing the app-based system, putting signs in place, and installing electronic garage signs and pay kiosks, Weinhold said.
“Beginning on Monday, Sept. 12, those who patronize the Reston Town Center will experience two state-of-the-art technologies accessible through free downloadable apps to enhance their living, working and shopping experiences,” Weinhold said.
“Both technologies were thoroughly researched, investments have been made and the systems will be put into operation on Sept. 12.”
It’s been a little more than two years since Metro’s Silver Line opened. It hasn’t exactly been a smooth transition — track work, delays, expense for users and a frustrating layout at the Wiehle-Reston East parking garage among the issues.
But developers say those factors are not only out of their control (and users’ control), they are short-term problems in a longterm plan.
Speaking at Bisnow’s “Fairfax County the State of the Market” event Wednesday at the Marriott Fairview Park, Boston Properties Senior Vice President Pete Otteni says he does not see Silver Line problems dampening commercial development in Reston.
“It has the potential to be transformational in the longterm,” said Otteni, whose company owns Reston Town Center. “But transit isn’t a panacea and isn’t THE thing that drives retail growth. It’s a meaningful contributor to where people want to live, work and play, but not THE thing.”
Sonny Small, CEO of Renaissance Centro (The Harrison) said if not for Metro, then “we wouldn’t be having this conversation” about major development in Reston and Tysons.
“There are still issues,” he said. “But over time, [transit] will be an important ingredient.”
Small and Otteni, along with Greg Trimmer of The JBG Companies (Reston Heights, RTC West), pointed out that Reston already has an advantage when compared with Tysons.
While Tysons will likely be the “edge city” developers envision in about 20 more years, Reston is quickly heading that way because it already is a place where people live and has a specifically designed master plan, the panel said. Read More
When weekday paid parking goes into effect at Reston Town Center Sept. 12, visitors will have to learn a new system that includes, among other things, downloading and using an App; scanning a beacon for validation; or rushing to a kiosk to manually pay by cash or credit card.
That has led more than a few patrons to say they will no longer visit the town center. Or they will take their chances and not pay the $2 an hour.
Here’s how RTC owner Boston Properties plans to enforce parking violations.
Boston Properties says it will use a “soft touch” for the first several months that paid parking is in effect.
“This is a obviously a big change for Reston Town Center,” said BP Property Manager Matt Bonifant. “We have listened to the [visitor] feedback.”
Bonifant said they will progressively warn violators, but they will not ticket or tow (which is a change from current procedures). Patrons can expect leniency, say, for parking over the allotted time period or a one-time offense.
But with the new system in place, security can track how many times you have visited RTC and NOT paid, so repeat offenders should be aware, Bonifant said.
Repeat offenders could be stuck with the “bumblebee,” a device that is suctioned to the windshield so a driver cannot see out to drive a car away. To get the device removed, they must call security and pay a $35 fee.
Indicator lights will also blink when your car is in violation, letting security know to come check it out, Bonifant said.
Photo: The device that could be suctioned to your front windshield for repeat parking violations.
Reston Town Center will go to a paid parking system on Sept. 12. However, chances are, you may only pay a portion (or none) of the $2-an-hour weekday fee due to the cyberspace-based validation system that is also forthcoming, Boston Properties officials say.
Stores will be outfitted with validation Bluetooth-enabled beacons. It is up to the stores to determine what they are offering for validation, says BP Property Manager Matt Bonifant.
For instance, one store or restaurant might give you two hours free if you purchase something. Another might give you an hour just for walking in the door. Still another may offer validation if you spend 15 minutes in the store or enter a dressing room. Read More
When Reston Town Center goes to a paid parking system on Sept. 12, management is hoping thousands of people will download the ParkRTC App. It’s free; one account can be used for multiple cars; it offers special safety features; and will get you ticketless, gateless payment.
But judging by reaction from many Reston Now readers on previous stories and our Facebook page, some would-be RTC visitors will refuse to do so. A few others say they have no plans to purchase a smartphone.
So let’s say your co-workers are going to happy hour at Jackson’s or you have to take your child to a birthday party at Bow Tie Cinemas (both of which have plans to offer validation) and you begrudgingly must enter the $2-an-hour paid parking zone. What to do?
Here’s what:
Boston Properties says there are four ways to pay: By the App; online at ParkRTC.com; in-person via cash or credit card at a kiosk; or by phone at 571-485-7790 (you will be asked to enter parking zone and credit card info).
If you are not using the App, once you park you car in one of the seven garages at town center, you have a 15-minute grace period to sign-in your car at one of four pay kiosks. Kiosks are in the Purple, Blue, Green and Orange garages.
When you get to a pay station: Enter your zone (that’s listed on signs near where you parked); license plate number; expected length of stay; and payment information (credit card, debit card or cash).
For cash users, the pay stations will not give change or provide refunds.
Many stores will validate (it’s high-tech and elaborate; more on that on Reston Now tomorrow), but here is something to know if you are App-less: The validation code you will get is good for your next visit to RTC and not on your current visit (App users will get the validation automatically and immediately sent to their account).
Reston Town Center’s paid parking system for visitors and some employees will go into effect on Sept. 12, Boston Properties officials said on Tuesday.
Boston Properties is encouraging visitors to download the ParkRTC App and familiarize themselves with the system now in order to make a smooth transition next month.
When the system goes into effect, visitors will pay $2 an hour (maximum $24 daily) in RTC’s seven garages and street rates of $3 an hour (free on Sundays). There will be many opportunities for validation from retailers, but that is still being finalized. Retailers who have confirmed they will offer validation include:
- Bow Tie Cinemas
- Crunch Fitness
- Barcelona Wine Bar
- Bartaco
- Community Canteen
- CVS Pharmacy
- Mon Ami Gabi
- Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge
- PassionFish
Garage parking will be free on weekends and during special events.
“We realize moving from a free to a paid parking model gives some pause,” Peter Johnston, BP’s Executive Vice President for the DC Region, said in a statement. “However, Reston Town Center leadership continually focuses on strategies to enhance customer convenience, safety and the overall quality of life. The technological integration is an enormous step in advancing both of these historical and very worthwhile goals.”
Brighton Collectibles is closing its Reston Town Center store.
The last day for the store at 11858 Market St. will be Sunday, May 22, store management said.
Brighton, which sells handbags, wallets, costume jewelry and other accessories, opened at Reston Town Center in late 2012.
There are no special sales happening as the store stock is being shipped back to the chain’s national headquarters.
That part of Market Street near Presidents Street will soon undergo redevelopment as Boston Properties plans to construct a 17-story office building there.
The redevelopment was approved last year. A Boston Properties spokesman said the start date for the project has not yet been determined. However, look for Ann Taylor and FedEx Kinko’s to also be affected by the project.
Retail employees at Reston Town Center will not be charged for parking when a paid parking system goes into effect this summer, RTC owner Boston Properties has confirmed.
On Aug. 1, Reston Town Center will roll out RTC Park, an app-based system for paid parking. Parking will cost $2 an hour for a maximum of $24 a day. Some retailers will validate parking.
But originally, workers — from the CEO of a tech company on Freedom Drive to a sandwich maker at Potbelly — were going to to have to pay too, though they were going to be offered $50 or $70 a month passes.
Now retail and restaurant workers will get free parking. Office workers will still have to work out any subzidies with their employers or pay for parking.
Boston Properties says it is going to the new system to discourage commuter parking. There is evidence people are parking in some of RTC’s seven parking garages, then taking a shuttle to Wiehle-Reston East to board Metro’s Silver Line. The problem will likely get worse when the Reston Town Center station opens in 2020.
Parking at Reston Town Center will be free on weekends and at special events, management says.
RTC patrons have not been happy with the change. Thousands have signed petitions asking Boston Properties to reconsider. Many others have said they will no longer visit RTC during the week.
