Inquiry into Federal Employee Parking Policy

Concern was expressed about the number of Federal employees driving to and from work and about Federal employee parking policy and its impact on the ability of cities to attain Federal clean air standards.

About 28,000 employee parking spaces are provided at Federal facilities in the Washington, D.C. area, with an estimated monthly rental value of $1.4 million. The General Services Adminstration (GSA) is authorized to charge agencies for space they occupy, including parking, at commercially equivalent rates. Parking charges assessed Federal agencies in the Washington area average about $50 per month per space, but these charges are not passed on to the employees by the agencies. Federal regulations require that carpools be given priority in the assignment of parking spaces. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is responsible for developing a national parking policy for Federal employees, and the GSA is not in a position to establish rates until a Federal parking policy is developed by OMB. Opinion is divided on the effect the implementation of commercial rates would have on vehicle miles traveled by Federal employees. Washington, D.C. is probably the only urban area where Federal parking policy would have a significant impact on air-quality standards.