Airport Parking Rates Rise In June
By Ted Jackovics, Tampa Tribune, Fla.
May 4–TAMPA — Tampa International Airport will raise parking rates up to $2 a day effective June 15 and will install equipment to accept payment through SunPass transponders at its parking garages next year.
The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority approved the parking fee increases Thursday to defray costs of doubling the size of the economy parking garage by November 2008. That’s two years earlier than originally proposed.
The new rates also are intended to balance demand among short-term, long-term and economy garages and pay for the higher costs of operating the economy garage, where travelers can catch shuttle service to the main airport terminal.
“The new rates remain a bargain compared with other airports and, unlike most, our remote parking is covered and in a garage,” said airport Director Louis Miller.
The aviation authority board voted to raise maximum daily parking rates effective June 15:
— From $7 to $9 at the economy parking garage.
— From $14 to $15 at the long-term parking garage.
— From $18 to $20 at the short-term garage.
— From $24 to $25 for valet parking.
Travelers still will be granted free parking for the first hour at the short-term and long-term garages. That perk is aimed at encouraging motorists to park cars when meeting arriving passengers rather than cruising airport roads and adding to traffic.
To further help traffic flow and provide customer convenience, each parking garage will be equipped with one SunPass entry lane and two exit lanes.
Airport officials expect to install SunPass equipment by January in the economy lot near the U.S. Postal Service building and by September 2008 in the short-term and long-term garages at the main terminal.
In addition to automated equipment that currently accepts credit cards for parking charges at the economy garage, similar equipment will be installed at the short-term and long-term garages by January.
About 75 percent of parking fees at the economy garage come from credit card payments, Miller said.
SunPass equipment is in place at Orlando International Airport; airports in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale are planning its use.
Tampa International officials chose to defer installing SunPass until a new generation of the transponder, which is about the size of a credit card.
Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817 or tjackovics@tampatrib.com.
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Copyright (c) 2007, Tampa Tribune, Fla.
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