City Council will consider fare increases to its disability transit program and changes to food truck parking enforcement at a meeting tonight (Wednesday).
Up for vote is a resolution that would increase some paratransit fares by $1 and create a new $2 “peak-hour” surcharge for some trips. The Council will also complete a first read of an ordinance that would shift how the city enforces parking for food trucks.
DOT “is a specialized transportation service for residents and visitors who cannot use fixed routed public transit due to their disability.” The paratransit resolution includes the following DOT fare changes, which would go into effect in January.
- Increase fares by $1 in Zone 2 (trips up to 5 miles outside city limits) and Zone 3 (trips over 5 miles outside city limits) which are currently $4 and $6, respectively
- Create a new Zone 4 with $10 fares for trips “extending 10+ miles” from city limits
- Implement a $2 “peak-hour” surcharge from 7-9 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. in Zones 2 and 4
Free service would remain for trips within city limits (Zone 1), as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The city is aiming to offset rising operational costs, address inflation and remain competitive with regional peers. The changes would increase annual fare revenues by about $17,000, based on this year’s ridership data, according to city documents.
Also tonight, the Council will also consider a lease agreement that would allow Alexandria to use its own vehicles — three electric Ford Transit vans — for paratransit purposes, in hopes of relying less on private vendors.
The city previously estimated the vehicle leasing measure could save between $2,700 and $3,000 per month, with full investment recovery in about four years.
Paratransit currently costs Alexandria roughly $56 per trip — a figure significantly less than Metro Access, WMATA’s paratransit service, which costs more than twice the city rate.
In late October, city officials reported an estimated $2 million in annual expenses for the program. The fare resolution would be the program’s first fare increase since 2020.
First read for food trucks
Also this evening, “frequent complaints” about food truck parking will be addressed during a first read on a new ordinance related to the trucks’ parking enforcement.
The ordinance would enable parking enforcement officers to cite food trucks that park or vend outside of designated locations. It would also grant the Department of Transportation & Environmental Services the responsibility of adding and removing designated food truck locations.
That task is currently left to City Council in a process that the proposal says is “administratively burdensome.”
Per Council recommendations, the ordinance could be scheduled for a public hearing and final passage this Saturday, Nov. 15.
The council convenes at 6 p.m. tonight in the Council Chambers at 301 King Street.
