A History of DC Parking

Parking in DC has changed a great deal over time. In years past, vast surface parking lots were visible throughout the city, even in places like the National Mall and outside the Capitol Building. Now most parking is limited to on-street spaces or garages, and open-air lots are a thing of the past. Before, people needed to pull out their spare change to put in the meter. Today, though coins are sometimes still used, most people use smart phones through programs like ParkMobile, or a credit/debit card. 

Today, a great deal falls under parking, including residential parking permits, spaces for citizens with disabilities, curbside pick-up and drop-off, and more. 

This exhibit will look at DC's past with parking and what it looked like, and how it differs from the landscape today.