New NOVA parking policies respond to community concerns

Northern Virginia Community College has agreed to change its student parking policies in an effort to reduce the number of students parking along Wakefield Chapel Road and other streets near the Annandale campus. The changes are expected to take effect for the fall semester.

For years, local residents have complained about students parking in front of their houses, blocking driveways and raising safety concerns. The new policies stem from a NOVA Parking Task Force convened by President Robert Templin to address the problem.

The changes, reported by Braddock Supervisor John Cook, including the following:

• The price of the parking permit will be reduced from $105 to $90 for students who purchase permits in person and from $95 to $80 for online purchasers.

• Students will be able to park free on all campuses after 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and all day on weekends.

• A “graduation incentive” will allow a graduating student to receive a return of their final semester paid parking permit fee.

• Students will be charged a new “parking infrastructure support fee,” at 50 cents per credit hour, to support maintenance, repair, and construction of streets, sidewalks, walkways, surface lots, exterior lighting, signage, and safety improvements.

The NVCC board also approved a recommendation calling for the development of transportation demand studies and transportation master plans for each campus to analyze the impact of various parking and vehicle circulation strategies to help guide college parking and transportation decisions on an ongoing basis.