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TIA parking poised for take off

Rates would top those at Orlando, Miami airports.

By Steve Huettel, Times Staff Writer
Published April 6, 2007

You might want to take a cab or bum a ride to catch your flight at Tampa International Airport starting this summer.

Parking prices would go up $1 or $2 a day July 1 at all airport parking facilities under a recommendation Thursday from Louis Miller, executive director of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.

Drivers using the new remote economy garage would feel the biggest jolt: a $2 increase to $9 per day. The airport would raise the fee to $10 as soon as November 2008 under the proposal.

Daily parking would increase to $20 from $18 in the short-term garage and to $15 from $14 for the long-term parking decks. Hourly parking for the two garages would rise to $3 from $2.50, although the first hour would still be free.

Rapid passenger growth and popularity of the new garage have put seasonal squeezes on airport parking. Design is under way for a second economy garage with 5,600 additional spaces.

Higher parking fees would help pay for the $71.2-million structure and ease demand on the economy garage, said Miller.

The pricier long-term garage handled two-thirds of overnight parking before the new garage opened. Now, slightly less than half the overnight vehicles park there.

"The difference between $7 and $14 was too much, forcing too many people down there to economy parking," said Miller.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio pointed out that at the proposed 2008 rate of $10, Tampa International's cheapest daily parking would cost more than economy parking in Orlando ($9) and Miami ($8).

Those airports, however, have remote lots instead of covered parking, said Miller. New rates for Tampa's remote garage would be the same or less expensive than garages at comparable airports in Phoenix. Baltimore and Minneapolis.

Iorio and other agency board members didn't raise other concerns. They will vote on rate changes at meetings in May or June.

Tampa International faces tight parking during the winter holidays and summer months. In addition to just under 20,000 regular spaces, airport officials make room for 4,000 more vehicles by squeezing them into unused spots in the garages and opening overflow grass lots.

This year's Thanksgiving/Christmas season shouldn't be a problem, said operations director Robert Burr.

But summer of 2008 could be a pinch as construction for the garage takes up existing surface parking. "We'll be close to capacity but think we can get by," he said.

If all goes on schedule, the first phase of the new economy garage with 3,700 spaces, will be open just before Thanksgiving 2008. The remaining 1,900 would be finished by May 2009.

Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3384.

Digging a little deeper If approved, new parking rates would take effect July 1. The TIA board will vote on the recommendation at meetings in May or June.
	Current	Proposed
Cell phone lot	free	free
Economy garage	$7 a day	$9 a day
Long-term garage	$1.25 per 30 min. $14 daily max	$1 per 20 min. $15 daily max
Short-term garage	$1.25 per 30 min. $18 daily max	$1.25 per 30 min. $20 daily max
Valet	$5 minimum $24 daily max	$5 minimum $25 daily max
Source: Tampa International Airport

[Last modified April 5, 2007, 23:46:13]