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Parking and traffic problems are mounting at the West Falls Church Metro station as three nearby construction projects compete for space and funnel drivers onto a single access route.

Metro is considering charging higher parking rates to people who leave their vehicles at the Idylwood station without taking a train or bus. The possible fee comes amid reports of construction workers, students and other non-riders using the garage while renovations and development have reduced available commuter parking.

Commuter Peter Sinclair said illegally parked vehicles and construction traffic have increasingly disrupted the morning rush.

“More cars are illegally parked,” Sinclair said March 25. “They are happy to hold up commuter traffic in the morning rush to ease the access of building site vehicles and that’s lead to frustrations on both sides, with some of the workers flipping off drivers who even ask questions.”

On March 31, Sinclair encountered five vehicles parked along a restricted portion of the Falls Church Drive access road despite pavement markings and a sign prohibiting parking at all times. He said two remained there that afternoon.

Construction squeezes station access

The disruption follows the start of work last fall on a mixed-use community being developed by Falls Church Gateway Partners, which includes the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and developers EYA and Rushmark Properties.

The project will bring more than 1 million square feet of development to the station area, including 810 apartments, 82 townhomes and new office and retail space. It will eventually replace all surface parking at the station, permanently removing about 550 to 650 spaces. Plans also call for new bus shelters and redesigned bus and Kiss & Ride loops.

The north parking lot and part of the south lot have been closed since Nov. 17. Current work includes a temporary bus lane and two roads serving the station and future neighborhood: Amber Crescent Way and Intrepid Alley.

The first floor of the station’s 1,300-space garage is also closed for renovations. Metro said the work includes upgraded lighting, security cameras and license plate readers.

The readers could support a new payment system, although Metro did not confirm their intended use.

“Metro is exploring new technologies and policies for our parking garages, and we will announce details at a later time,” the agency said.

Snow and ice on the garage’s top deck further reduced parking earlier this year. Metro said an average of 15% of the garage’s spaces remained open during March.

The renovation is scheduled to finish later this summer, when more spaces are expected to reopen. Notices at the station say Intrepid Alley, located south of the garage, should be completed by the end of July and provide a new way to enter and exit the structure. Work on Amber Crescent Way and the new bus shelters is expected to continue through October.

The closure of the Haycock Road entrance has compounded the congestion by forcing every driver to use Falls Church Drive.

Students and workers add to demand

The McLean Citizens Association raised concerns about the shortage in early March, saying Metro commuters appeared to be losing spaces to contractors working on the station, HITT Contracting’s new headquarters and the West Falls development, as well as students from Meridian High School.

“The MCA is concerned that extensive use of the parking garage by drivers other than those who are using the Metro threatens to undercut this expectation, to the detriment of Metro users,” the organization said in a March 4 letter to Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman.

Meridian has faced parking disputes since its new campus opened in fall 2021. Students initially parked in two lots while work on an existing lot was completed, and they later staged a walkout seeking additional spaces.

The school first opened more unused spaces to juniors and seniors, then restricted them to seniors during the 2023-2024 school year. Juniors could pay to park at Virginia Tech’s neighboring Northern Virginia Center, but that lot was demolished in early 2025 to make way for HITT’s headquarters. Students then began parking at the Metro station.

Meridian partnered with the West Falls development in December to make 100 garage spaces available to students through the end of the school year in June. However, the association’s letter indicated that some student parking continued to spill into the Metro garage.

The association urged Bierman to work with Falls Church City on alternatives, including the city’s garages on Haycock Road. It argued that the Metro facility’s primary function is to serve transit commuters rather than absorb parking demand from elsewhere.

Transportation Committee Chair Glenn Harris said the organization has also received complaints about construction workers leaving their vehicles in the Metro garage.

Metro weighs higher non-rider rate

Bierman said his office began hearing reports of inadequate station parking in early February. His staff subsequently contacted Metro, EYA and Rushmark.

Metro acknowledged an increase in garage use by people who are not riding transit, including students and construction workers. Bierman said the agency is preparing a higher rate intended to discourage that practice.

“In essence, WMATA would charge these users higher rate to dissuade their use of the garage,” Bierman said. “Payment would be determined by whether or not someone initiates a Metro ride. WMATA is working through the technology on this and is looking to implement soon.”

Metro did not say when such a fee could begin, reiterating only that it is evaluating new garage technology and policies.

Falls Church Gateway Partners also agreed to create more parking within its construction site for workers. Bierman said that effort was underway as of March 26.

County inspectors are trying to limit the effect of construction vehicles, though Bierman cautioned that some delays will continue. He said his office would monitor conditions and work with Fairfax County, Metro and the development team on additional changes if necessary.

Parking and traffic concerns repeatedly surfaced during Fairfax County’s review of the station redevelopment and the broader West Falls Church Transit Station Area plan.

Following a study of the local transportation network, the county obtained developer commitments for several improvements. Those include a shared-use trail carrying Haycock Road over Interstate 66, new crosswalks on Falls Church Drive and changes to the Haycock Road intersections at Great Falls Street and Grove Avenue.

Metro says the completed development will contain more than 1,400 parking spaces shared among residents, employees, visitors and transit commuters.