Over in the corner of the neighborhood church parking lot, a truck is parked and it seems to come and go when no one is looking. Some similar trucks sometimes also park on neighborhood streets, alleys, places where parking is limited and are an eyesore to many, but calling the local elected official may not be the answer.

In Fairfax County, they have a new option called the Parking Violation Public Report, a form on the county website where these vehicles can be pointed out officially and hopefully the situation can be addressed.

Supervisor Dan Storck's (D-Mount Vernon) office initiated the tool as part of their parking campaign. The Richmond Highway corridor lends itself to truck parking due to the number of side roads. 

"More and more lately, we are seeing our public streets littered with illegally parked commercial vehicles like large box trucks, dump trucks and tractor trailers. Not only is this a safety hazard, it’s intrusive to our neighborhoods, blocks our businesses and limits walkability, while diminishing the sense of community we are striving to create," Storck wrote in an editorial. Storck announced it to the Board of Supervisors in October.

Although the Richmond Highway does have its share of parking violations, it also happens in other districts such as Springfield and Braddock. In Springfield, they have had complaints in Supervisor Herrity's office in a widely dispersed issue. But in the Braddock District, trucks often park over by the Target on New Guinea Road as well as Port Royal Road which is sometimes used as a roadside storage area for trucks and trailers.

On the count form, there are six questions pertaining to the parked truck. If one question warrants a "yes" response, the truck or vehicle "may be reported for illegally parking," it says on the form. There is a map included on this page so the complaint can be filed with a map indicating exactly where the truck is.

In Fairfax County, commercial trucks parked in residential areas are addressed in Fairfax County Code, Section 82-5-7 that prohibits parking of commercial vehicles in residential districts. Vehicles parked in violation are subject to a $100 fine for each violation and may be towed at the owner's expense, it says.

Questions on the "Parking Violation Public Report."

Is the answer to any of these questions “yes”?

1. Is the vehicle "obstructing traffic," meaning, parked in a travel lane?

2. Is it in a signed "no parking" area?

3. Is a commercial truck parked in a residentially zoned area?

4. Is the vehicle parked "long-term," meaning 15 days or longer from when the police first 'tag' the vehicle?

5. Is the vehicle part of a "fleet," meaning, two or more vehicles of the same company parked on a public road?

6. Is the vehicle parked closer than 10 ft. from a driveway, closer than 20 ft. from an intersection or closer than 30 ft. from a stop sign?