What if they built a transit station and people didn’t come, or at least took their time coming? That’s what’s happening in Tysons, Va., a busy, business-filled suburb of Washington, D.C., where parking maximums are putting the squeeze on roads–at least, according to developers.
Planners said a new Metro stop in the business district would alleviate traffic. But so far, train use hasn’t been as high as was predicted and a group of developers testified this week that parking maximums implemented as part of a comprehensive plan for the area are choking roads, with people still circling and circling, looking for places to park. Real change to transportation is slow to come, they said, with one suggesting the construction of “throwaway parking decks” as a temporary solution while Metro use is given time to build. Another testified that driving through Tysons is part of the area’s DNA, and may take a long time to change.