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Letter to the editor

Airport parking rates increase Monday

For now, only the short-term and valet parking rates will change at Tampa International Airport.

By JEAN HELLER
Published June 2, 2005

TAMPA - A sharp increase in parking prices at Tampa International Airport takes effect Monday, an attempt to use economic leverage to change travelers' long-standing parking habits.

All-day parking in the short-term garage, directly on top of the main terminal, will rise from $14 to $18, and valet parking will go from $20 a day to $24. Increases at the long-term garage won't take effect until the fall.

Parking at a remote lot will remain at $7 a day.

"We were hoping we could wait until November for any rate increases, but we can't do it because of our phenomenal growth," Louis Miller, executive director of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, told his board Thursday.

"Long-term parking is at or above capacity from Tuesday through Friday every week," Miller said. "We're trying to discourage people from using the short-term garage as overflow parking from long-term. When they see that short-term is $18 compared to the remote lot at $7, the choice should be pretty clear."

See tomorrow's Times or sptimes.com for the full report.

[Last modified June 2, 2005, 16:10:56]