Airport’s new parkade to open in March
By TOM PETERS Business Reporter
Fri. Jan 30 - 4:47 AM
Parking pressures at Halifax Stanfield International Airport should ease just before March break’s exodus to sun or snow.
The Halifax International Airport Authority plans to open its new 1,900-space, five-storey parkade in the first 10 days of March, opening up space for 850 outside spots, There also 2,500 spots at the Park ’N Fly, served by a shuttle.
Peter Spurway, the authority’s vice-president, corporate communications and public affairs, said Thursday the new parkade will have a number of pay options.
Users will be able to get a ticket when they enter and pay at a station before leaving. They will also be able to pay cash at the exit plaza or use a credit card. And they can even use their MacPass; the airport authority has teamed with the Halifax Bridge Commission to allow people to charge parking fees to their credit card. Mr. Spurway said the charge will go to the credit card, not the MacPass account.
Using the parkade will cost $4 per hour in the short-term parking area and $4 per hour in the long-term parking area with a maximum of $18 a day.
When the parkade opens, prices will increase at the airport’s other parking areas. The surface lot adjacent to the parkade will be $3 an hour, $14 a day (up $2) and $70 maximum weekly. Park ’N Fly will be $11 a day ($10 with coupon), $55 weekly ($50 with coupon). Current prices are $9 a day and $45 weekly ($40 with coupon).
Mr. Spurway said to show its appreciation to people who have been patient over the pass several months while the parkade has been built, there will be no charge for parking there if people can go into the terminal and out in 30 minutes or less.
The authority will be testing parkade systems over the next few weeks. The bottom floor of the new structure will be occupied by the rental car companies.
The pedway between the parkade and terminal will be operating six to eight weeks later.
The last major construction job at the terminal is the reconstruction of the front wall from the centre of the terminal building northward, toward the arrivals area.
The wall is being taken out and replaced with glass, and a second-level walkway is being installed. Patrons will be able to leave the pedway on the second level and turn left toward U.S. preclearance or use an elevator or escalator to get to the main floor.
Mr. Spurway said the airport authority will be running several advertisements before the parkade opens to inform the public of all the changes.
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