Statement of Introduction
Rightsizing Residential Permit Parking Regulation Amendment Act of 2021
Councilmember Christina Henderson
October 6, 2021
Today, along with Councilmember Brooke Pinto, I am introducing the Rightsizing Residential
Permit Parking Regulation Amendment Act of 2021. This legislation would resize our
Residential Permit Parking (RPP) zones to align with Advisory Neighborhood Commission
(ANC) boundaries.
Setting RPP zones at this scale would focus the RPP program on prioritizing parking near a
residents home and in their neighborhood while encouraging residents to utilize public transit
and alternative methods of transportation for routine trips to various commercial districts and
other destinations within their ward and throughout the District. This supports the Districts
broader goals of reducing emissions, congestion and safety incidents caused by motor vehicles
established under our Clean Energy DC, Comprehensive, and Vision Zero Plans. Further, RPP
zones set at the scale of ANCs would be more consistently and equitably sized across the city, as
the land area of wards can vary greatly.
Neighborhood permit parking is used in several U.S. cities of comparable size to Washington,
DC. By establishing 41 total RPP zones in the District of Columbia, this legislation would place
us in line with parking permit programs in Philadelphia (39), San Francisco (33), and Boston
(~40). For additional perspective, our neighboring jurisdiction of Arlington, Virginia and
Montgomery County, Maryland maintain 23 and 53 parking districts, respectively.
Section 6182 of the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Support Act tasked the District Department of
Transportation (DDOT) with studying a reduction in RPP zone size to match ANCs, along with
other innovative parking solutions on residential streets near commercial centers. This study will
inform the transition contemplated by this bill, which has an implementation date of January 1,
2023 to allow time for public education and the appropriation of any necessary funding to
effectuate the change in Fiscal Year 2023. DDOT already has some relevant data points on this
proposal, as some RPP zones in Wards 1 and 4 are currently set by ANC.
As the Council proceeds with its decennial redistricting process, the moment is right to press
forward with decoupling our parking and political ward boundaries and move toward a more
sensible system of truly residential permit parking. I note that additional legislation may be
needed to pause a shift in the current ward-based RPP zones that will automatically occur under
the relevant DDOT regulations when the Council adopts new ward boundaries for elections in
calendar year 2022.
I look forward to working with Council colleagues to advance this measure and other needed
reforms to help preserve parking for residents who need it, while depoliticizing our parking
zones in the future.
 1 ______________________________ ______________________________
2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Christina Henderson
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10 A BILL
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15 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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20 To amend Title 18 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations to conform the boundaries
21 of Residential Permit Parking zones to Advisory Neighborhood Commission areas.
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23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
24 act may be cited as the Rightsizing Residential Permit Parking Regulation Amendment Act of
25 2021..
26 Sec. 2. Title 18 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations is amended as follows:
27 (a) Subsection 2433.1 (18 DCMR 2433.1) is amended to read as follows:
28 2433.1 Each Advisory Neighborhood Commission area of the District shall constitute a
29 separate residential permit parking (RPP) zone.
30 (b) Subsection 9901.1 (18 DCMR 9901.1) is amended by striking the phrase
31 Residential Permit Parking (RPP) Zone -- all residential areas located in a specific Ward,
32 except that census tract 79.03 (starting at Nineteenth Street, N.E., and Benning Road, N.E., east
33 on Benning Road, N.E., to Oklahoma Avenue, N.E.; south on Oklahoma Avenue, N.E., to C
34 Street, N.E.; west on C Street, N.E., to Nineteenth Street, N.E.; north to Nineteenth Street, N.E.)
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35 shall be included in residential permit parking Zone 6. and inserting the phrase Residential
36 Permit Parking (RPP) Zone all residential areas located in a specific Advisory
37 Neighborhood Commission area. in its place.
38 Sec. 3. Applicability.
39 This act shall apply as of January 1, 2023.
40 Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement.
41 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal
42 impact statement required by section 602(c)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule
43 Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code 1-206.02(c)(3)).
44 Sec. 5. Effective date.
45 This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the
46 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as
47 provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December
48 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of
49 Columbia Register.
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