State Troopers M. W. Dailey (left) and T. U. Keene talk with Jim Chason yesterday at North Stafford's Mine Road commuter lot. The officers were writing tickets to commuters who parked their cars on the right of way. Chason's wife was cited.

Commuters cited when VDOT lot in North Stafford overflows By EDIE GROSS

By EDIE GROSS

Date published: 10/8/2004

Mary Chason arrived at the Mine Road commuter lot around 7:45 a.m. yesterday to find all 750 parking spots full.

So the Stafford woman parked her minivan close to the curb, got out and joined a slug line.

When she returned from her job at the Pentagon yesterday afternoon, she was greeted by a state trooper and a ticket for improper stopping on a highway.

"The earlier plan was to tow the vehicle," Trooper M.W. Dailey told her. "We didn't do that. This [the ticket] is the lesser of two evils."

Chason was in good company. Troopers cited nearly 30 drivers for parking along the curbs, on the grass or in the bus lane of the lot just south of State Route 610 (Garrisonville Road) in North Stafford.

Several people who parked illegally in handicapped spots were also ticketed.

Motorists like Chason said they're not trying to break the law. They're trying to be responsible commuters by slugging, car pooling or taking a bus.

But the lots they park in are full.

"It's really a problem because nobody can park anywhere else around here," said Chason's husband, Jim, who usually car pools from a busy commuter lot on the north side of Route 610. "There's no parking left."

The Mine Road lot opened almost four years ago, and even one year ago it was less than half full most days.

"When I first started here [two years ago], you had your choice of spaces," said Cheryl Vaughan-Brown, who was ticketed yesterday for parking in a small gap between two handicapped spots. "Now, this one's full."

Recent development in North Stafford and a surge in the number of people wanting to car pool has filled the Route 610 commuter lots to capacity, commuters say.

In the past few weeks, they've been so full that drivers have taken to parking on any available flat ground.

Officials with the Virginia Department of Transportation, which owns the lots, said they knew the facilities were well-used, but they had no idea how packed they were until yesterday morning.

S. Scott Shropshire, assistant engineer for VDOT's Fredericksburg Residency, visited the lot after getting a complaint.

"I had nonhandicapped folks sitting in handicapped spots. I had one vehicle parked in the bus lane," he said. "It was just unreal."

The cars blocked travel lanes and made it difficult for drivers to see around curves, said Shropshire, who called Virginia State Police because of the safety hazards.

Police originally considered towing the cars but opted to hand out tickets instead, said Sgt. Eric R. Futrell.

Because the commuter lot is a state facility, it's treated like a highway. Parking illegally is a moving violation, not simply a parking infraction, Futrell said.

Drivers convicted of improper stopping or failing to obey a "no parking" highway sign can face fines of up to $250 and get points on their licenses, he said.

If the problem continues, violators may be towed, he said.

Date published: 10/8/2004