Commuters vent at town hall meeting

By Eric Spiegel
For PotomacLocal.com

Woodbridge, Va. –– Brenda Higgins told a panel of officials she wouldn’t be shopping at Potomac Mills mall any time soon.

The panel was gathered for the commuter parking town hall meeting held in Woodbridge on Wednesday night.  Higgins was among many who were angered by the decision by outlet mall to reduce commuter parking from 1,000 spaces to 275.

The meeting, which filled up the auditorium at the Ferlazzo Building off U.S. 1, was held to allow for commuters, Slugs – those who ride in vehicles of three or more to use the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on Interstate 95 and 395 – and bus riders to ask their questions and vent their frustrations about the recent decision.

More to the story: Use our interactive map of commuter lots in the Potomac Communities that could provide a you a parking alternative to the Potomac Mills mall commuter parking lot.

Potomac Mills’ management decided to reclaim the spaces in order to respond to their growth and the interest shown by potential restaurant tenants to open shop there, mall officials said.

Members of the town hall panel included representatives from Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors, transportation officials, and the operator of the commuting website Slug-lines.com.  Potomac Mills representatives were invited to participate, but declined to attend.

After some brief opening remarks by Woodbridge District Supervisor Frank Principi Occoquan Supervisor Mike May, the current commuter parking situation was explained by Thomas Blaser of the Prince William Transportation Department, and Al Harf from the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission.

Blaser explained that in order to alleviate the loss of the spaces at Potomac Mills, the county is in talks with local businesses and churches close to the mall to lease privately owned parking spaces.

“We are cautiously optimistic that we will have new lots open in the near future,” he stated.  Thirty to sixty days was the projected timeline Blaser said.

During the question and answer session that elicited a variety of responses from commuters, some ranging from attendees offering suggestions for the county to alter its future commuting plans to those angry with the county’s government for not having a plan in place if the Potomac Mills spaces were lost.

“Prince William County should integrate telecommuting into its commuting strategy,” suggested Alan Alborn of the Prince William Telecommuting Council.  “People spend money where they work and telecommuting will bring more money to the county.”