The airport is considering building thousands of new structured parking spots. (Mike Platania photo)
Richmond International Airport’s future itinerary may include about $230 million in new parking facilities.
The regional airport’s governing body is considering building two new parking decks: one for the general public, and the other for rental car operations.
The $120 million public parking facility would be built on the current Economy A lot at 5500 Eubank Road, just north of the Economy B lot. At 5,500 spots, the new facility would be the largest deck at RIC: the existing North and South garages total about 6,800 spots between them.
The new rental-car garage, which would have to be limited to two stories to preserve air traffic control sightlines, is estimated to cost around $108 million and would take three years to design and build.
The proposals were outlined last week at a meeting of the Capital Region Airport Commission’s Finance and Audit Committee. Spokesman Troy Bell said the airport is considering the projects to meet customer expectations as RIC grows into a medium hub.
“We aim to provide world class customer experience, comparable to that of other medium hubs,” Bell said in an email. “We have immediate needs for 1) more rental car space at the airport and 2) facilities to accommodate public parking demand at RIC which has never been higher.”
To help fund the new structures, the commission is considering raising both the airport’s daily parking rates and a fee it levies on rental car agencies.
The airport currently charges $7 per day to park in its economy lots and $12 per day to park at the North and South garages near the terminal. Those rates could be raised to $10 and $15, respectively.
The new Economy A parking deck would be larger than both the South and North garages.
Outside of an increase to its valet parking rates a few years ago, RIC hasn’t changed its economy or garage parking rates in 22 years, which – according to studies by mobility and parking consulting firms Wood Solutions Group and 20/20 Parking Consultants – puts it “significantly below its peer (airports).”
Parking is a major revenue source for the airport, pulling in over $30 million in the last fiscal year. The increased parking fees would help fund the new Economy A deck, as well as other airport operations and facility improvements.
To help pay for the rental garage, the commission also is considering raising its daily Customer Facility Charge (CFC) from $2 to $8.25.
CFCs are fees imposed by airports and collected by rental car companies that operate on-site. They’re often passed down to customers at check-out, and revenue raised through CFCs can be used to back credit bonds and finance or improve car rental facilities.
According to an analysis by local financial advisory Davenport & Co., RIC’s $2 CFC is less than half of those levied by peer airports that operate on a similar budget. Richmond’s nearest geographical peer, Norfolk International Airport, has a CFC of $8, and that is planned to be raised to $10 as Norfolk is planning a parking expansion of its own, per Davenport’s study.
Car rental companies at RIC have facilities on-site at which they clean, refuel and service their cars, but customers pick up and drop off cars at a designated rental car garage north of the terminal. That garage is at capacity.
Where the existing rental garage has a capacity of about 450 spaces, an analysis from Michigan-based aviation consulting firm Jacobsen|Daniels estimates that current demand is for about 700 spaces. By 2034, Jacobsen|Daniels anticipates, demand will be nearly double the current rental garage capacity.
The terminal lobby at Richmond International Airport. (Courtesy Todd Wright/RIC)
Neither the general parking or rental car parking proposals have been finalized. Next steps include further study and gathering staff recommendations. Any changes would have to be approved by the full Capital Region Airport Commission.
RIC President Perry Miller said investing in the airport’s parking infrastructure is “essential to enhancing the traveler experience, supporting our regional economy, and ensuring RIC remains the airport of choice for the mid-Atlantic region.”
“While shifting travel patterns and evolving transportation options, such as Uber and Lyft, initially created uncertainty about future infrastructure needs, our customers have spoken loud and clear,” Miller said in an email. “We must expand rental car facilities and public parking to meet growing demand.”
In other RIC news, some new flights were added to the airport’s itinerary last week, as Spirit Airlines announced that beginning May 7 it’ll begin nonstop service from Richmond to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The new flights are planned to operate four times each week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. This spring, the airport is also adding direct flights to Bermuda, its first international flights in over a decade.
The airport is considering building thousands of new structured parking spots. (Mike Platania photo)
Richmond International Airport’s future itinerary may include about $230 million in new parking facilities.
The regional airport’s governing body is considering building two new parking decks: one for the general public, and the other for rental car operations.
The $120 million public parking facility would be built on the current Economy A lot at 5500 Eubank Road, just north of the Economy B lot. At 5,500 spots, the new facility would be the largest deck at RIC: the existing North and South garages total about 6,800 spots between them.
The new rental-car garage, which would have to be limited to two stories to preserve air traffic control sightlines, is estimated to cost around $108 million and would take three years to design and build.
The proposals were outlined last week at a meeting of the Capital Region Airport Commission’s Finance and Audit Committee. Spokesman Troy Bell said the airport is considering the projects to meet customer expectations as RIC grows into a medium hub.
“We aim to provide world class customer experience, comparable to that of other medium hubs,” Bell said in an email. “We have immediate needs for 1) more rental car space at the airport and 2) facilities to accommodate public parking demand at RIC which has never been higher.”
To help fund the new structures, the commission is considering raising both the airport’s daily parking rates and a fee it levies on rental car agencies.
The airport currently charges $7 per day to park in its economy lots and $12 per day to park at the North and South garages near the terminal. Those rates could be raised to $10 and $15, respectively.
The new Economy A parking deck would be larger than both the South and North garages.
Outside of an increase to its valet parking rates a few years ago, RIC hasn’t changed its economy or garage parking rates in 22 years, which – according to studies by mobility and parking consulting firms Wood Solutions Group and 20/20 Parking Consultants – puts it “significantly below its peer (airports).”
Parking is a major revenue source for the airport, pulling in over $30 million in the last fiscal year. The increased parking fees would help fund the new Economy A deck, as well as other airport operations and facility improvements.
To help pay for the rental garage, the commission also is considering raising its daily Customer Facility Charge (CFC) from $2 to $8.25.
CFCs are fees imposed by airports and collected by rental car companies that operate on-site. They’re often passed down to customers at check-out, and revenue raised through CFCs can be used to back credit bonds and finance or improve car rental facilities.
According to an analysis by local financial advisory Davenport & Co., RIC’s $2 CFC is less than half of those levied by peer airports that operate on a similar budget. Richmond’s nearest geographical peer, Norfolk International Airport, has a CFC of $8, and that is planned to be raised to $10 as Norfolk is planning a parking expansion of its own, per Davenport’s study.
Car rental companies at RIC have facilities on-site at which they clean, refuel and service their cars, but customers pick up and drop off cars at a designated rental car garage north of the terminal. That garage is at capacity.
Where the existing rental garage has a capacity of about 450 spaces, an analysis from Michigan-based aviation consulting firm Jacobsen|Daniels estimates that current demand is for about 700 spaces. By 2034, Jacobsen|Daniels anticipates, demand will be nearly double the current rental garage capacity.
The terminal lobby at Richmond International Airport. (Courtesy Todd Wright/RIC)
Neither the general parking or rental car parking proposals have been finalized. Next steps include further study and gathering staff recommendations. Any changes would have to be approved by the full Capital Region Airport Commission.
RIC President Perry Miller said investing in the airport’s parking infrastructure is “essential to enhancing the traveler experience, supporting our regional economy, and ensuring RIC remains the airport of choice for the mid-Atlantic region.”
“While shifting travel patterns and evolving transportation options, such as Uber and Lyft, initially created uncertainty about future infrastructure needs, our customers have spoken loud and clear,” Miller said in an email. “We must expand rental car facilities and public parking to meet growing demand.”
In other RIC news, some new flights were added to the airport’s itinerary last week, as Spirit Airlines announced that beginning May 7 it’ll begin nonstop service from Richmond to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The new flights are planned to operate four times each week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. This spring, the airport is also adding direct flights to Bermuda, its first international flights in over a decade.
This story is for our paid subscribers only. Please become one of the thousands of BizSense Pro readers today!
Your subscription has expired. Renew now by choosing a subscription below!
For more informaiton, head over to your profile.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
TERMS OF SERVICE:
ALL MEMBERSHIPS RENEW AUTOMATICALLY. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR A 1 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL AT THE RATE IN EFFECT AT THAT TIME UNLESS YOU CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP BY LOGGING IN OR BY CONTACTING SUPPORT@BUSINESSDEN.COM.
ALL CHARGES FOR MONTHLY OR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS ARE NONREFUNDABLE.
EACH MEMBERSHIP WILL ONLY FUNCTION ON UP TO 3 MACHINES. ACCOUNTS ABUSING THAT LIMIT WILL BE DISCONTINUED.
FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP PLEASE EMAIL SUPPORT@BUSINESSDEN.COM
Already a Member? Sign in
Return to Homepage
If they do this, I would only ask that they make it harder to turn off of the actual ramp to the individual decks. Right now there’s just way too much wasted space I would hope they could fill it in with more useless curbing.
lol
Also love to see them include a walkway to that garage. I think it would get more use if you didn’t have to wait for a shuttle and they include a plan for pedestrian access to the terminal (ped walkway or below ground tunnel) across Airport Drive..
I like that they are thinking beyond what they currently are. There is capacity here they can build on and the facilities should continue to be examined on a regular basis for upgrades.
An eventual pedestrian connection to the new public deck would be useful as well.
it really needs a pedestrian connection. I don’t trust the bus when I’m waiting for a flight.
RIC has long been a standout in thinking ahead intelligently around here — I mean even NoVA extending the line out to Dulles seemed to take forever and hence developers didn’t take the line into consideration as much as they would have if they had just prioritized it more.
They do need more parking, North and South have become notably crowded. But it would be better if it were connected to existing North and South parking, or otherwise walkable to the terminal.
Be nice if they had the BRT connected to the airport from Downtown to help with the traffic.
BRT extension could also help with Williamsburg Road redevelopment, but my guess is Short Pump first because there is way more traffic out that way.
Yes.
Also because this makes sense in other ways as well.
That’s a little pie in the sky.
How about just better shuttle service from more nodes?
Not sure more parking is needed. How about improving their current terminals and possibly look to adding a third, and increase outgoing flights to different destinations. Once that happens, then maybe additional parking makes sense.
My understanding is that consolidation of the TSA checkpoints which now – unfortunately – “separate” Concourses A & B is in the works. Not sure how far along – but it’s moving forward. At that point the airport is looking to extend Concourse B adding gates (not sure how many at this point – am guessing anywhere from 7 to 9 new gates). I’ve heard that gate space in Concourse B is close to maxing out as RIC gets additional flights/destinations and the prospect of new airlines (such as BermudAir, which begins service in May) that will reconnect RIC with… Read more »
And amenities….can we please get a Chick-fil-a in Terminal A!
HEY! That would’ve been a GOOD pun. Take it back.
Thank you for all that info Peter.
Yeah, Uber was seen as a possible existential threat by some people in certain industries, but that was largely hype outside of traditional taxi cos.
What’s interesting is that there is all this increased demand for parking spaces — I always try to NOT park at airports when I can, perhaps more people are driving longer distances to use RIC