'Red Top' Parking Meters Placed on Hold Temporarily

The District Council passed emergency legislation Tuesday, ordering the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to delay enforcement of "Red Top" meters. The meters reserve parking spaces in high-demand parking areas for persons with disabilities.

Under the new red top program, the meters allow a vehicle displaying a valid disability placard or license tags to park for double the legal amount of time, but regular parking rates must be paid.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) had already begun enforcement for vehicles parked in red top spaces that did not display a valid disability placard or license tags to park. Paid meter enforcement on those with appropriate placards or tags was supposed to begin April 17. Now the D.C. Council has put the program and enforcement on hold until at least 90 days from March 20.

According to a previous DDOT news release among the goals of the red top program were:

-To remove the incentive for fraudulent use of disability placards and license plates by persons without disabilities.

-To enforce longstanding but previously unenforceable time limits.

Motorists legally parking in a red top space who exceed the time allowed may be ticketed for exceeding the time to park at a meter, a fine of $25.

According to the Washington Post, Council member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) introduced the emergency legislation.

As the Post reports, Bowser called for more analysis and public input:

 “This represents a significant policy change that hasn’t been adequately debated by this council and it amounts to a fee.”

The Council legislation was approved hours after DDOT offered to adjust its plan for enforcement, waiting until May 1 to have DPW ticket handicapped meters that have exceeded the time to park.

“We want to allow as much lead time as possible to ensure we’re set from an operations standpoint to enforce the program, and most importantly that we have communicated to our stakeholders the various changes that will affect where one can park in the District, ” said DDOT Director Terry Bellamy in a press release issued Tuesday before the Council legislation passed.

But the agency's reaction was not swift enough and now the entire red top program will wait until June before enforcement may be able to resume.