RESTON, VA -- Reston Town Center merchants have been saying for months that the introduction of paid parking in January 2017 has been hurting their bottom line, and nearly 14 months later, they say they're still getting hammered.

The Reston Merchants Association, formed by RTC merchants who dislike the new ParkRTC system, issued a statement Wednesday saying that despite Reston Town Center management -- who is not identified in the statement but is Boston Properties -- scaling back the hours of paid parking last May, "Reston merchants, retailers and restaurants are still reporting drops in sales as well as customers." "This does not solve the problem," says Aaron Gordon, owner of Red Velvet Cupcakery, in the statement. "People still avoid Reston Town Center because they don't want to think about whether they must pay for parking, or they have moved on and found other stores which serve their needs or they are simply unhappy with the situation and are boycotting Reston. Any way you look at it, it is hard to bring back a customer once you have lost them."

Ray Pugsley, owner of Potomac River Running, said that business between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. has been "terrible" ever since paid parking was instituted. "Even when doctors refer people to us, they tell us that their patients refuse to patronize Reston Town Center," he said.

Red Velvet Cupcakery is down 37 percent in the last two quarters of 2017 compared to the same period last year, and Big Bowl in 2017 reported a 15 percent drop compared to 2016, with a large portion of that being due to a decline in lunch sales. Parking validation is also costing the restaurant thousands of dollars, according to the statement. "A large number of merchants have already shut down over the past year, including Iceberry, M&S Grill, Origins, Neyla, Appalachian Spring, Il Fornaio, Capital One and Bebe," the statement adds. "Ironically, all this comes at a time when industry leaders agree that centers like Reston Town Center are doing well. Population growth around these centers has accelerated over the years, creating consumer demand. Reston now has a population of almost 75,000, up from 60,000 only three years ago. And, with a mix of internet-resistant and service-oriented businesses like restaurants and personal care, fitness and beauty retailers, centers like Reston Town Center are in a position to help customers accommodate their needs in an accessible and affordable way."