Planning a visit to the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C.? Take mass transit, or take change to feed the meters.

Parking spots in such areas as Constitution Avenue, Madison Drive, Jefferson Drive, and the Tidal Basin Lot close to the Mall are always difficult to find, in part because commuters grab them. That's one reason why walking to the Mall or taking a bus or the Metro is a wise decision.

But now National Park Service officials want to have parking meters installed around the Mall to 1) encourage turnover of those limited spaces; 2) encourage visitors to take alternate means of public transit, and; 3) make a little money to reinvest in public transit.

The program is seen as an expansion of the District of Columbia's metered parking. If approved, the system will be implemented later this year, and a "National Mall Circulator" route for buses will be added in 2015.

You can comment on this plan through February 28.