"Reading, Pa., airport to make parking lot free"

Friday, November 12, 2004

Reading, Pa., airport to make parking lot free
The Reading (PA) Eagle


Parking will be free at the Reading Regional Airport terminal beginning Dec.
11, but not because of airport generosity.

Rather, it figures to come out ahead financially by taking out the
turnstiles.

The airport has been losing money on the parking lot -- $3,000 in September
alone -- since US Airways Express began cutting back commuter flights over
the past year and then ended them Sept. 4.

The parking lot generated $120,000 in airport revenue in fiscal year 2002,
but only $50,000 last year and barely $1,500 in the 2004 fiscal year that
ended Sept. 30.

The Reading Parking Authority, hired two years ago to manage the lot,
installed the unattended turnstiles and a fee-taking machine inside the
terminal.

The airport pays the parking authority a $5,600 monthly lease on the
equipment, a $2,055 management fee and other expenses, but income didn't
cover the costs for many recent months.

The airport authority said the deal made sense when it was signed, but no
longer does. Authority members voted Tuesday to have the parking authority
take out the turnstiles.

There's another advantage, authority members said. They also agreed to seek
a new operator for the now-closed terminal restaurant, and having a free
parking lot will draw more customers.

Customers of the closed Ciabatta's Restaurant also parked for free for two
hours, but had to use the ticket system to get the free time.


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