On May 12, 2008, City Council voted in favor of dividing the Fan Parking District into two distinct zones.  (Here is a scanned copy of the ordinance — ordinance202008-105, as downloaded from the Fan District Association webpage)

As explained in the RTD this morning (although I couldn’t find the article online):  “The district runs roughly from Vine Street east to Virginia Commonwealth University, and within its boundaries, parking for more than an hour is limited to residents who pay $25 a year for a permit.”  Effective August 1, 2008, the district will be bisected into an eastern and western section by Lombardy Street.

The reasoning from City Council is to keep students living in the western section from using their parking decal to commute to the eastern section and taking up all of the parking that is designated for the residents of the area.

And the Fan is not alone in their concern for maintaining parking availability for their residents.  The Carver community has also instituted its own parking decal system, and City Council says that Oregon Hill and the Randolph communities are leaning towards doing the same thing.

My next thought upon seeing the news was whether or not the city had any plans to make bicycle commuting more accessible.  I mean, if the outrage is about the students commuting by car such a short distance — and they could walk or bike — AND the recent city planning has emphasized pedestrian-friendly planning, then this would be an ideal time to take a move with the potential to outcast the students and spin it into something that could really benefit everyone.  I’m no expert on making routes bike-friendly, but I’m sure there is plenty that could be done.  Any ideas?