Politics & Government

VDOT: Park and Ride Design Not At Fault

Commuters can file a claim, but agency says there was no negligence.

While the Virginia Department of Transportation says commuters have the right to file a claim for last week's flooding, that does not mean VDOT is at fault.

VDOT spokeswoman Joan Morris says in order for the claim to be honored, there must be a determination that VDOT was negligent. To see how to file a claim,

Dozens of cars were damaged when the Reston North Park and Ride lot flooded when six inches of rain fell in a few hours on Sept. 8.

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 “We don’t want to discourage any vehicle owner from filing a claim but it’s important folks understand how the process works and that there must be negligence for the claim to be honored,” said Garrett Moore, VDOT Northern Virginia district administrator.

VDOT is of the opinion that there was no negligence in the design, construction or maintenance of the Reston North park-and-ride lot, Morris says.

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"The Reston lot was overwhelmed by water, as were more than 100 other roads in Fairfax County," she said.  The floodwater in the lot receded the next morning.

As with any tort claim against VDOT, if it is determined that VDOT was negligent the agency has the authority to settle claims up to $1,000.  Those claims should be addressed to: VDOT Fairfax Maintenance, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA  22030, ATTN:  Cynthia Mercer. The letter should include the date, time and location of the event, daytime phone or other contact information, photos and any other documentation to support the claim along with a signature.


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