Virginia State Police to Ticket Illegally Parked Commuter Lot Vehicles

Virginia State Troopers will be patrolling the Horner Road commuter parking lot until the end of the month looking for illegally parked vehicles.

"The campaign is in response to continuing complaints about vehicles being illegally parked and the dangerous hazards those vehicles pose to pedestrians and other motorists moving through the Horner Road lot on Route 3000 (Prince William Parkway)," said a release on the VSP's Facebook page. 

The Horner Road commuter lot 

The campaign is a two-phase project that will first alert drivers to their illegally parked vehicles and then the ticketing will begin. The first phase begins Monday, June 18, 2012, and runs through Friday, June 29. During that time, troopers will be looking for vehicles blocking the travel lanes and those that are double parked.

"During this first phase, violators will receive a warning in the form of a flyer. However, any vehicle posing a severe traffic hazard may be removed from the lot at the owner’s expense," said the release. "Digital message boards will be located in the commuter lot to alert drivers of the ongoing enforcement crackdown." 

From Virginia State Police: 

"State police in conjunction with Prince William County Police will begin enforcement of the campaign the morning of Monday, July 2, 2012. During this second phase of the program, vehicles parked illegally will be ticketed. Again, those vehicles posing a serious traffic hazard will be towed at the owner’s expense.

The Horner Road commuter lot can safely accommodate more than 2,000 vehicles. In many instances, motorists are parking in one of the two travel lanes, which impedes the flow of traffic and is a safety concern. In the event of a medical emergency, illegally parked vehicles could restrict emergency vehicle access." 

Illegally parked vehicles are defined as the following:

• Vehicles parked in areas posted or marked with “No Parking” signage.
• Vehicles parked in landscaped areas not intended for vehicle parking.
• Vehicles parked illegally in a travel lane that obstructs traffic. These vehicles will be ticketed and towed from the lot at the vehicle owner’s expense.

Vehicles found illegally parked pursuant to Code of Virginia 46.2-1219.2 and local county ordinances will receive a notice on the vehicle, and a parking ticket will be issued and mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner. 

Additional commuter parking space is available at other lots in Prince William County. Additional information on Northern Virginia commuter lots is available at http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/nova-main.asp."