You arrive at the terminal and drop off your luggage and loved ones fora 6:30 p.m. flight. Then the quest for a parking spot begins. The hourlylot, at $12 a day, isn't an option. And the only space you can find is at"Park and Ride" number three.
It's all the way back to Interstate-40. Time elapsed: 10 minutes.
Now you go get the shuttle, which luckily showed up right after we parked.But by the time you finally return to the terminal, a grand total of 20minutes has passed.
The airport authority has a solution, a new, 2700 space, multi-tieredparking garage, with easy access to the airport's main terminal.
"We'll transport them into the terminal via a tunnel underneath theroadway system and then up into the terminal," explains AssistantFacilities Manager Dave Powell. "The atrium and the tunnel feature powerwalks and other features that make it a real quick trip into theterminal."
The Airport Authority has already set aside $35 million dollars for thisproject next to Terminal A. It should be completed in two years. Butmoney for future additions to the garage will come from people who use itsexisting parking. In January, rates will go up by at least a third.
RDU Public Relations Manager Rick Martinez says the rates are going up athird because RDU airport parking rates are actually below the nationalaverage.
Here's a fast fact for everyone. Over the next few years, RDU will spendmore money building parking spaces than on any other portion of itscapital budget.
For example, the long distance but low cost "Park and Ride" three lot willnearly double in size within a year. That's not to say it will takelonger to get to the terminals. The Airport Authority has ordered moreshuttle buses for remote lots.
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