Grounded by Parking

At the end of a recent five-day business trip, my husband and I checked out of what we had always considered the long-term parking at Lindbergh Field. The fee was $84 ($12 for the first day and $18 per day afterward)!

The facilities at the airport are increasingly inadequate and now parking is impossible. The Port Authority suggests that “the most convenient way to arrive at the airport is by obtaining a ride from a friend, or taking a cab, shuttle van or bus.”

That implies that people fly only occasionally, for pleasure. I am not sure how many friends would be willing to take me to the airport before 6 a.m. or return to pick me up at 11 p.m. The shuttle bus from my home (a 20-minute drive from the airport, within the city limits) costs $26 one way or $52 per round trip.

Off-site parking is an alternative, but even it is getting steep for the relative inconvenience. The price has increased over 30% in two years to $9 per day. Why is San Diego so much more expensive than Los Angeles, Dallas, Tampa or Houston, where long-term parking ranges from $4 to $7?

The Board of Port Commissioners may have noticed that, since the rate hike, the parking lot is virtually empty. It does not take a mathematician to figure out that 12 cars at $18 per day produces less revenue than 500 cars at $6 per day. Is this how the airport chooses to control costs and service its customers?

Business growth in San Diego depends on modern airport facilities and accessibility. In the competition among cities for the relocation of companies, airport facilities are a key criterion. If San Diego is going to consider itself a Pacific Rim city, it needs to build airport facilities to accommodate the increased travel.

VALORIE McCLELLAND, San Diego