Even as motorists find it less convenient to park at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, they'll have to pay more to leave their cars in the reliever's lots beginning Thursday.

Gateway's $5-a-day parking fees, considered economy-class for an airport with regularly scheduled passenger service, will be increased to $6.

The fee hike will produce more than $370,000 a year in additional revenue, said airport spokesman Brian Sexton. Current parking fees generated $935,647 for the first half of the year.

Airport officials said the fee hike is needed to offset the financial impact of building more parking lots, but Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, a member of Gateway airport's governing board, cautioned that it would be unwise for the airport to perceive parking fees as a major source of revenue.

Though the mayor voted to approve the fee hike, he issued his second warning on the subject since October when he told fellow board members and airport staffers that continued fee increases could undermine Gateway's economy, simplicity and efficiency, which are the building blocks for its success.

He said on Monday that the board and the staff should plan for a competitive economic base that will lure airlines in addition to Allegiant Air, the airport's only scheduled airline.

"We like the successful Allegiant business model, but who knows what other airlines will have?" Smith said. "They will be attracted to Gateway because it is a reliever, it is customer-friendly and provides an alternative to Sky Harbor (International Airport)."

With a growing demand for parking, construction is to begin next month on a 1,730-space North Economy Parking Lot on the southeastern corner of Ray and Sossaman roads.

The lot will have screen walls, lighting, covered parking, a security booth with cameras and an automated payment system that uses coin-shaped tokens instead of paper tickets.

The plastic tokens are embedded with computer chips that record the time of entry into the parking lot.

Last week airport officials warned of parking delays caused by construction to expand the passenger terminal and an unexpected business boom during hot summer months when passenger counts are normally lower.

While construction continues, more than 500 parking spaces near the terminal will remain closed, and baggage-claim facilities and three car-rental-return lanes will be relocated.

Sexton said motorists should count on parking in an overflow parking lot near the air-traffic control tower. Free shuttle service to and from the terminal will be provided throughout the construction.

The first half hour of parking will remain free. From then on, the current charge of $1 for each half hour will not be changed but will be assessed at a maximum of $6, instead of the current $5.

Most of the funding for the parking and improvements will come from a $5,055,748 federal grant.

Starting Monday parking fee hikes go into effect at Sky Harbor's economy lots.

Airport officials said the daily rates for economy parking, as well as for spots in the upper level of Terminal 2, increase by a dollar.

by Art Thomason - Jul. 20, 2010
The Arizona Republic