Airport Parking News

www.Parctel.com: The trio of Sidney Minott, Angela Blandino and Tonii Harris were all smiles as they bounded from a white van in the economy parking lot at Jacksonville International Airport. It was 3 p.m., and a short rain shower had turned the lot into a sauna in the August sun.

Armed with 5-gallon buckets and squeeze-trigger mechanical “grabbers,” they fanned out to different corners and began collecting trash. A cigarette butt, a lighter, a can of soda, a nearly microscopic tear of paper – nothing went unnoticed, and within minutes the buckets were nearly overflowing.

The group hardly had time to gather in front of the terminal for a photo as they continued to pick up any debris they passed.

“They are always working,” smiled supervisor Tamara Bostick. “They never complain and they never miss a day. They truly love their job.”

It’s hard to believe the most enthusiastic and eager employees in Jacksonville may be making minimum wage cleaning up airport parking lots, but this crew makes a strong case.

All three have mental disabilities, and all three have become gainfully employed through The Arc Jacksonville’s employment program. The non-profit group Arc, which used to stand for Association of Retarded Citizens but has been renamed simply Arc, is a clearing house of resources for people with all kinds of disabilities and their families.

In all, 50 disabled residents who otherwise would likely not have steady jobs are now employed at more than 30 businesses, and another 200 work at the Arc facility on contracts with local companies. The employers get quality labor and acknowledge they are helping an underprivileged segment of the population, while the employees get something even more important – a sense of self worth.

The Arc Jacksonville is about possibilities. They help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities unlock their potential to take on valued roles in the community. Arc Jacksonville services help enhance the quality of life of the individuals that they serve while offering real options within their control.

Arc Jacksonville also help people with disabilities and those who support them make informed choices about services and service providers.

Each day, Arc Jacksonville help more than 400 people discover and unlock the possibilities within themselves.

Full Story on Jacksonville's Financial News and Daily Record.
Arc Jacksonville Site

The Harrisburg International Airport today proposed a deal to resolve court dispute with the owner of nearby Cramer Airport Parking property in Highspire.

The board of the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority offered to withdraw the attempt to seize the property by eminent domain in court and to make payments instead to compensate lot owners Stanford and Lynn Cramer.

In return, the agreement calls for the state attorney general's office to end its action against the authority on Cramer's behalf in Dauphin County Court and in federal court. The attorney general's office contends the authority's eminent domain attempt violates federal antitrust laws.

Full Story on PennLive.com

Improvements to parking at Auckland airport's domestic terminal have been completed.

The one-level covered carpark has been transformed into a parking area specifically for short-stay parking.

The new pick-up drop-off carpark with tariffs starting at $2 for stays of up to 20 minutes is a safe and convenient place to wait for arriving passengers or to park while farewelling those departing.

Full Story on Stuff.co.nz

www.Parctel.com: The Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) has pumped R1,3-billion into the construction of Cape Town International Airport to cope with a "startling" growth in visitors.

Total passenger numbers grew 22,3 percent in a year, from 550 000 in July 2006 to 675 000 this year.

"This translated into 4 000 more passengers a day compared with the same period last year and this is traditionally the low season," said Acsa spokesperson Deidre Hendricks.

Upgrades include two multistorey parkades, upper and lower roadways similar to those at OR Tambo International in Johannesburg, a central terminal building with a new domestic departures lounge and additional aircraft parking bays and air bridges, Hendricks said.

The first parkade was commissioned in April 2006 and the second which will add 4 000 parking bays, is due for commissioning in October next year.

The car rental agencies had to move from the site across from the International terminal, to a new site in the central parking precinct, to accommodate the new five-storey building.

The new central terminal is being constructed between the international and domestic terminals and will comprise a large common check-in area and a central security point.

This new building, with state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure, includes a new departure lounge for domestic travellers.

"But, passenger numbers have continued to grow at a startling rate, placing much strain on the current airport infrastructure. This continuous growth, in addition to the on-going construction, is placing huge pressure on the airport.

"The construction process, though necessary, will cause airport users some inconvenience. This is why we ask our users to please bear with us and to be reassured by the fact the gain will be well worth the pain. Airport users are reminded to come to the airport early to provide themselves with sufficient time," said Hendricks.

The SA Rail Commuter Corporation, Metrorail and the government recently announced plans to spend over R400-million on a rail link between the airport and the CBD. In October last year the City of Cape Town announced the plans to set up a rail link between the airport and the city, with various stations along the way.

A dedicated airport platform would be built at Cape Town station.

The aim was to ease pressure on the N2 and the airport's parking areas ahead of 2010. The project is still in the planning phase and an environmental impact assessment needs to be done.

Source: Karen Breytenbach, IOL

www.Parctel.com: Nearly one in two motorists wants help parking their car, a new survey shows. In the British Airways Association study at Gatwick Airport, 48 per cent of the drivers questioned called for free spaces to be highlighted to reduce parking stress.