WASHINGTON — The old song goes, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
But D.C. is turning “Big Yellow Taxi” on its head. On top of two metered parking spaces along the K Street corridor, a mini park now exists. The spaces are being unveiled Tuesday.
The bright-yellow mini park, located in front of 2020 K St., will be up until October.
This first long-term “parklet” is an extension of Parking Day, which puts out one-day mini parks in parking spaces. Sustainable DC invited the Golden Triangle to pilot the creation of the seasonal parklet.
Triangle shapes serve as public benches, with flowers growing on the top.
There isn’t a quota on the number of parklets that could go up in D.C., according to District Department of Transportation Transportation Planner Ted Van Houten.
Business improvement districts and community groups can apply to DDOT for permits.
DDOT guidelines determine where a parklet can and cannot go, but the applicants select the precise location.
Parking in downtown D.C. is a regular battle for drivers, but Van Houten says he doesn’t anticipate this — or any — parklet will make much of an impact on parking availability.
Because it sits above metered spaces, drivers couldn’t leave their cars there all day, anyway.
Below is a map with the location of the parklet:
