Why must residents pay for zoned parking?
A. The program is optional, and each block of neighbors can choose whether to opt in or opt out of the program. If your neighbors opt out of the program, there is no fee to park on the street. Each individual can also choose not to participate in the program. Should you own a vehicle, you can park in a driveway, on a non-zoned street or in a public garage. Arlington follows the practice of most jurisdictions in the US by charging a fee for zoned parking protections, although we do offer a free FlexPass for the first vehicle, plus 20 free visitor passes per year. We use a fee for additional cars and additional Short-term Visitor Passes like with many other County services, to partly defray the costs of administering and enforcing the program. The fee covers about 1/2 of the cost of the program.
