Despite disappointing news that the opening of Metro’s Silver Line extension in Virginia to Dulles International Airport and beyond has been delayed again, Loudoun County is moving forward with parking plans for when trains finally start running.
Thursday morning, bulldozers moved dirt as construction crews worked in several locations in the Moorefield Station community, located just south of the Dulles Greenway.
Dozens of blocks of new townhomes have new residents who will have a short walk to the Ashburn Station when the Silver Line starts running. Both the Ashburn and Loudoun Gateway stations are built in the median of the Greenway.
Once Metro starts running, the neighborhood is slated to have additional homes built, as well as mixed-use development — including retail, restaurants and entertainment — in a walkable community accessible to mass transit.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors this week approved a new On-Street Parking Management Area in the Moorefield Station neighborhood.
The area, which will include metered parking near the station, as well as a still-to-be-built Ashburn Station South parking garages, is designed to provide places for visitors to safely and conveniently park without infringing upon residential parking.
The on-street parking management area specific to Moorefield Station is bordered by Loudoun County Parkway, Old Ryan Road and Vinegar Hill Drive.
Currently, the area has approximately 400 on-street parking spaces and is projected to expand to 800 with future development.
Multi-space metered parking kiosks will limit the number of meters. Only electronic payments by app, credit and debit cards will be accepted.
The Ashburn Station South garage will have 1,540 parking spaces, which can be accessed from Silver Train Street and Croson Lane. The daily fee for parking in the garage is $4.95.
Residents will be able to buy a residential parking pass, which will allow them to park on public streets within the residential parking zone by permit. The cost will likely be $10 per year.
To establish hourly rates for on-street metered parking, the Board of Supervisors will have to amend the county’s parking meter ordinance. The proposed parking meter rates within the On-Street Parking Management Area in the Moorefield Station neighborhood are $1.25 per hour (off-peak hours) and $1.75 per hour (peak hours).
A public hearing on the proposed parking rates will be held March 9.
