Metro Seeks Bids From Contractors to Take Over Operation of Parking Garages

WMATA is seeking bids from contractors interested in taking over the operation, financing and maintenance of its garages in the D.C. Metro area, NBC Washington reports.

WMATA has long operated its own paid parking system, which averages around $5 per weekday to park, and allows customers to pay with pre-loaded SmarTrip cards.

While some think it would make more sense for the famously cash-trapped Metrorail to continue to maintain its own parking system and keep all the revenue for itself, NBC explains that any chunk of money a contractor proposes to pay WMATA for the privilege of running its parking empire could equal more than it currently makes in parking revenues, particularly given how much it costs to maintain the system.

However, handing over control of the parking system would indeed mean losing the daily parking revenue as well.

The contract WMATA is proposing would be for 50 years, during which the agency is recommending that parking fees increase by 3 percent each year.

Metrorail is also proposing that the company that takes over expand the pay-to-park program to include charging on holidays and late nights, which currently are free along with weekends.

WMATA said they plan to encourage the future contractor to keep the SmarTrip card system of payment.

Bids are due by Oct. 28, and a deal could be finalized by July 1, 2017, NBC reports.

WMATA currently owns and operates 59,267 daily parking spaces, 56 parking lots and garages, and 3,445 parking meters.

Read more on NBC Washington.