Street Parking in DC? (living in, law, moving)

[DCSoon]

Currently in DC without a car, but thinking about getting one. How does street parking work? I'd prefer not to spend $150 or more per month on a garage.

I know the RPP only allows you to park in one area for 2 hours. Coming from the 'burbs, this whole concept is confusing to me

How/where can you park your car if you plan on using it infrequently (maybe 3-4 times per week). Do you really need to keep moving it repeatedly? If it matters, the area I'd be parking/living in is most likely Woodley Park. Thanks for the help.

[HurricaneDC]

Well if you are a DC resident then you get a special permit for a parking zone. Different parts of town are in different parking zone. If you have, say, a Zone 3 permit and you park in Zone 3, you're exempt from the limits.

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by DCSoon

I know the RPP only allows you to park in one area for 2 hours. Coming from the 'burbs, this whole concept is confusing to me

You've got it backwards. You can park for two hours UNLESS you have the RPP for that particular zone. In certain areas (like mine) one side of the street is strictly zone parking. It's $15/year, and if you're not going to use your car much it's not a big deal to just park on the street.

[DCSoon]

Originally Posted by juniperbleu

You've got it backwards. You can park for two hours UNLESS you have the RPP for that particular zone. In certain areas (like mine) one side of the street is strictly zone parking. It's $15/year, and if you're not going to use your car much it's not a big deal to just park on the street.

Ah, that makes a lot more sense! Thank you for the clarification. So I can leave my car parked in the same spot on the street in my zone (if I've got an RPP for that zone) for a few days? I know some cities make you switch sides of the street every day.

Is there a decent amount of street parking for RPP in the Woodley Park area?

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by DCSoon

So I can leave my car parked in the same spot on the street in my zone (if I've got an RPP for that zone) for a few days? I know some cities make you switch sides of the street every day.

I do this all of the time...I only drive once every couple of weeks or so. I'm pretty sure DC does have a law about how long a car can be parked in one space on the street, but I have no idea what it is, and it's never enforced.