March 12, 2009
Airport Parkade Opens Tonight
Just in Time for March Break
Halifax, N.S. – Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA) will open its new Parkade at 8 p.m. tonight, Thursday, March 12, 2009, in order to help March Break travellers.
“Even though some cosmetic finishes on this new facility are not 100 per cent complete, we feel that we need to bring the Parkade on-line to help with the annual March Break traffic,” says Tom Ruth, HIAA President & CEO. “The systems and people we need to handle cars have been tested sufficiently that we’re prepared to take this step to meet demand. And recognizing that parking at the airport has been a challenge throughout construction, we wanted to get the Parkade ready as soon as possible to thank everyone for their patience,” he adds.
“Wanting to provide this brand new facility in time for March Break was a big motivator for us,” says Michael Healy, HIAA Vice President Infrastructure & Technology. “Even though the weather for the past couple of months has been uncooperative, our contractors pushed on through it all and we appreciate everything they did to make this possible. We’re grateful to everyone who’s worked so hard to get us ready for this peak traffic period.”
The 5-level, 2,300-space Parkade features 1,900 public parking spaces and 400 spaces for rental cars. The rental car operations are expected to relocate to the new facility in a couple of weeks. Until then, they will continue to work from the economy surface lot adjacent to the Parkade.
Travellers selecting the Parkade or economy surface lot will have a variety of payment methods to choose from, including credit card express, cash or debit card, or pay-on-foot at ticket stations located at the Parkade entrances. A new payment option – “MACPASS plus” – will be available soon. (See below.)
For added customer convenience, the exit pay plaza will be staffed 24/7.
COMING SOON – MACPASS Payment Option
MACPASS users, who pay automatically using a credit card, will soon be able to access the new “MACPASS plus” option that will allow them to charge their airport parking to the credit card used to replenish their MACPASS account.
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Background Information
Parking Options and Rates
Parkade – Hourly (Short term)
In and out in 30 minutes – No Charge
$4 per hour
No daily maximum
Parkade – Daily (Long term)
$4 per hour
$18 daily maximum
No weekly maximum
Economy Surface Lot Adjacent to Parkade – (Hourly or Daily)
$3 per hour
$14 per day
$70 weekly maximum
Park’N Fly
$11 per day - $10 with coupon
$55 weekly maximum - $50 with coupon
Coupons available at
www.parknfly.ca
Payment Methods
All parking payment options apply to both the Parkade and the Economy Lot. The exit Pay Plaza will be staffed 24/7.
Credit Card Express
At the parking area entrance, insert a credit card, then simply insert the same credit card at the exit Pay Plaza. VISA, MasterCard, American Express accepted.
Pay on Foot
Choose this option and take the ticket with you. When you are ready to leave, use one of the “Pay-on-Foot” ticket stations located in the terminal or pedway areas to pay for your parking. The pay stations accept credit cards, debit cards or cash.
MACPASS Plus - Coming Soon
MACPASS customers who pay automatically via credit card will soon be able to use their MACPASS to pay for airport parking at no extra fee. They simply push the “MACPASS plus” option button when entering, and then proceed to parking. Upon exiting via the MACPASS lane, their MACPASS transponder will be read, the gate will automatically open and the cost of parking will be processed through their MACPASS account.
The cost of the airport parking is charged to the credit card used to replenish the MACPASS account and will not affect the prepaid balance used for bridge crossings. Only customers who choose the “MACPASS plus” option when entering will be charged through their MACPASS. Visit
www.macpass.com for more information and conditions.
By The Numbers - Parkade Factoids
1,900 public parking spaces
400 rental car spaces
2,300 total Parkade spaces
2,437 more total airport parking spaces
5 levels of parking convenience
13 months to construct
$55 million to build
$82 million for the total project, including roadways, underground services, over-road pedway, and airport terminal building modifications
120 Volunteer hosts and HIAA staff members who volunteered to be Parking Ambassadors, going through training to assist travellers with the new parking system for the first several weeks
1,000+ construction workers*
2,200 pieces of pre-cast concrete
750,000+ person/hours of work*
*estimate
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