Division of Amenities & Transportaion Services

Contact Information

Louise Davis
Program Manager
Telephone: (301) 496-9621

Michelle Mejia
Quality Assurance Specialist
Telephone: (301) 496-4998

Parking Permits, Transhare and Commuter Options
Rusty Mason
Program Manager
Telephone: (301) 451-4811

 

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Parking FAQs

NIH Parking Information

Where can I get parking information about the NIH campus?

What is Attendant-assisted Parking?
With attendant-assisted parking, unlike valet parking, first arriving employees will self-park and lock their cars in the existing striped spaces (as currently). Once the facility is full, attendants will direct employees to established parking locations where parkers will leave car and ignition key, and receive a claim ticket. Vehicle keys will be secured by attendants using key security locks. As self-park spaces open, stacked cars will be moved into available spaces. Departing stacked employees will present ticket and attendants will unsecure key and move any blocking vehicles.

What hours will the attended lots be operational?
Projected attendant operating hours for the employee lots are 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Monday-Friday.  MLP-11 garage entrance booth will remain open until 11PM for keys pick-up (After 11pm keys secured for pickup next business day).  Employees can self-park and lock car at any time there are available spaces in the lots (before, during and after operation hours).

Will all NIH lots become Attendant-assisted Parking?
No. There are no plans to make all NIH lots Attendant-assisted parking. The following NIH Employee Parking Garages are attendant-assisted parking: MLP-6, MLP-7, part of MLP-8, MLP-9, Lot 31B/MLP-10 Handicap, and ACRF Garage P2 & P3 Levels.

Are the attendant-assisted contractors insured?
When you leave your key with Colonial Parking, they are fully responsible for the vehicle as well as any items secured to the car (i.e., radios, telephones, etc.). They are not responsible for personal property left in the car; in fact, they will remind you to remove and/or store any personal belongings before leaving the car. The company is licensed and bonded. They manage numerous facilities in downtown Washington, where they park an average of 100,000 cars a week.

What should I do in the event of loss/damage/theft from my vehicle while parked in an Attendant-Assisted Parking Facility?
In the event a theft from your vehicle occurs, you should contact the NIH Police at 301-496-5685 to file a police report. If you are reporting a crime in progress within a parking facility, "Blue Light Emergency Telephones" are located throughout the various levels or by contacting the NIH Police emergency telephone number 115. 

In the event that your vehicle is damaged or you incur a loss while parked at an "Attendant Assisted" Parking Facility, you should also contact an attendant from Colonial Parking at the location. They will complete a Colonial Parking Inc., Attendant's Claim Form and provide you with a copy. ALL monetary claims are to be filed with Colonial Parking, Inc.

Why was MLP-8 Chosen for Attendant-assisted Parking?
MLP-8 is a large, yet compact facility that lends itself to "stacking" and provides us the numbers of spaces we need.  

Visitor Parking 

Where have the Visitor Parking lots been moved to?
All visitor parking has been consolidated to the following areas: Lot 4A across from Building 31A, Gateway parking garage (MLP-11) and at metered parking areas around campus. 

Is all Visitor Parking now paid parking?
Patients, patient visitors and authorized users will be able to park for free in the ACRF-P1 level.  Handicapped visitors with appropriate tags or hangers can park for free at all visitor lots and parking meters around campus.

Why have the Visitor Parking lots been moved?
Our efforts in this entire parking approach are geared to the NIH employees. By providing adequate visitor parking, we expect to reduce the overflow of illegal parkers into the employee lots and free up some parking capacity. As you have probably heard, Federal policies limit the number of spaces we can build on the campus. Attendant assisted parking (including some visitor parking) is a way to keep our capacity constant as construction continues to take its toll. We will continue to evaluate this and other options.

Can employees park in the paid visitor parking?
Yes. They can park in the paid visitor parking and will be required to pay for parking in the paid lots. 

Can IC's get parking vouchers for use at the Paid Visitor Parking?
Yes. IC's can purchase vouchers that can then be given to visitors to cover the cost of parking in the paid parking lots. There will be no free visitor parking on the campus, except for handicapped visitors with appropriate tags or hangers. The IC's can purchase pre-validated stamps for their visitors by calling 1-888-NIH-PARK. The rates are $2.00/hr for the first 3 hours, and $12.00 for 4-12 hrs. Usual Government purchasing mechanisms will be honored (credit card, purchase order, etc.).

What are the Hours/Days during which the parking meters are to be used?
The hours of operation for metered parking spaces is 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Likewise, the attendant assisted lots are in operation from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. 

Contractor Parking 

Large numbers of contract personnel visit the campus, sometimes for prolonged periods of time. We have been informed that the cost for parking will be passed on to the Governemnt under their contracts. What provisions have been made to accommodate these contractor personnel?
Currently, contractor staff visiting the campus will be required to park in the visitor lots and pay the general rates ($2/hr or $12/day). If the IC's wish to, they can purchase validation stamps for their visitors by calling 1-888-NIH-PARK. However, we are also considering a monthly reduced rate for contractor personnel that work on the campus on a permanent basis. This was discussed at an EO meeting a few months ago, and met with some resistance, due to the fear that the contractors would in turn bill NIH indirectly for the charge through their contracts. We are currently in the process of assessing the number, type and duration of stay of the contractor staff on the campus, and will return to the EOs with a new proposal. In developing the parking plans, we are making every effort to ensure the best reasonable accommodation for all employees coming to work and the visitors doing business at the NIH campus. Please feel free to share with us any suggestions you or your IC think would help address these issues. 
 

Other Parking Areas (Reserved, Red, Handicapped, Carpool, etc)

Of the visitor parking lots being converted to employee lots, how many spaces will be designated red sticker or carpool?
With the exception of 40 carpool spaces in MLP-8, all other spaces converted are for general employee parking. These 40 spaces were added to compensate for 180 carpool spaces lost in Lot 13C due to Bldg. 50 construction, and 60 spaces in Lot 4A which were converted to visitor. The carpool spaces do not "negate" use by other employees. They are available for general parking after 9:30 AM and, in fact, provide an option for employees who must arrive later for some reason. The total number of carpool spaces is being monitored and will be adjusted as necessary, so that these spaces continue to provide an incentive for alternative commuting without unduly impacting the general parking supply.