Hey everybody! I know that FIRST tries to offer free parking whenever they can at the event, but I cannot find out if parking will be free at the Walter E Washington Convention Center for the Washington DC Regional. Does anybody know if there really is free parking?
Links:
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/regional-events?id=430
The DC Convention Center is in downtown DC, you are not going to find free parking anywhere close to the venue. Luckily the convention center is a stop on the Green/Yellow metro lines.
QFT.
There are several lots within a quarter mile of the site, but none are free. If my memory serves me correctly, the cost varies from $10-$25 per day. There is also the metro (subway) if you wanted to commute from the suburbs every day. It is where all the cheap hotels are anyways…
There are ordinances in both DC and Arlington County (VA) that stipulate no free parking is allowed at commercial sites (even when employers own the building). The idea is that it encourages public transportation, supposedly reducing traffic congestion.
Expect at least $20/day per spot – so $40 for a truck+trailer. I’m not sure what buses are. Look for an email blast as we get closer to the event.
We found an above ground parking lot, I believe it was 7 dollars for the day, though it was on the marathon day, so no one was able to make it in, so I’m not sure if it was a special deal or something.