Old Town Parking Study

Summary

The Old Town Parking Study is a city-commissioned project that analyzed parking utilization across Old Town Fairfax City. The study was initiated primarily to assess how upcoming and ongoing redevelopments in Old Town would affect parking conditions, but generated broad data from a consultant's detailed field observations of parking lots throughout the area conducted in fall 2024. The study was presented to City Council at a June 3, 2025 work session (no formal action taken), and referenced in the Planning Commission's staff report on June 23, 2025. The study was completed in 2025 and its key finding was that no additional parking structure is needed in Old Town; instead, future parking demand should be accommodated through shared parking arrangements. Key data from the study includes peak utilization rates of approximately 2–2.5 spaces per 1,000 sq ft for retail shopping centers (Main Street Marketplace and Courthouse Plaza), and findings on office parking utilization around Old Town excluding core properties dependent on shared/public parking. As of early 2026, staff has been drawing on the study's data to inform parking ratio analyses for specific development applications and broader parking standards review, including Transportation Demand Management (TDM) survey work.

Open questions & options on the table

• The study's findings are intended to serve as a reference for future decisions, particularly related to the Old Town Small Area Plan — those downstream decisions remain pending.
• The Old Town Circulation Study (part of the Move Fairfax City plan) was noted as underway as of July 2025; its completion and relationship to parking policy outcomes has not yet been recorded.

Recent updates