Easing Airport Stuffing : Simpler Parking Part of Recipe

Irvine accountant Marsha Goldman is looking forward to her Thanksgiving trip home to San Jose. It’s the trek to John Wayne Airport that she’s dreading.

“Getting through the airport is really the low point,” said Goldman, 29. “The traffic and the parking are a pure nightmare.”

But this year airport officials hope to ease holiday congestion and confusion with several features designed to direct travelers to available parking, saving precious time as they race to make their flights.

“It takes time to see whether each lot is full or empty and decide where you are going to park,” airport spokeswoman Kathleen Capini Chambers said. “That obviously causes delays and frustration for travelers.”

The most important addition is a new ramp that connects the Thomas F. Riley Terminal to overflow parking lots a half-mile away on Main Street in Irvine.

The four parking lots next to the terminal quickly fill up on Thanksgiving week, forcing travelers to use the Main Street lots.

Until now, drivers had to follow a maze of surface streets to reach the outlying lots. But the new ramp provides direct access from the terminal using an onramp to the northbound Costa Mesa Freeway.

Thanksgiving week is John Wayne Airport’s busiest period. Last year, the airport accommodated more than 95,000 passengers during the week.

When crowds fill up the 4,500 parking spaces next to the terminal, airport workers will post traffic signs directing travelers to the Main Street facilities, which have 2,500 spaces.

Officials will use electronic message boards on freeways feeding into the airport to tell drivers which lots are open. Travelers also can call (714) 252-5006 to receive up-to-the-minute parking information.

“We are trying to change the mentality of travelers,” Chambers said. “They can probably save a lot of time if they follow the signs [rather] than drive around the [terminal area] looking for parking.”

Some travelers such as Goldman avoid the Main Street lots.

“It seems like an inconvenience to be so far away,” said Goldman, who was at John Wayne Airport last week waiting to board a flight to San Francisco on business. “I prefer parking closer in.”

But Chambers said the airport provides shuttle rides to and from the lots every 15 minutes. “It’s very easy to use,” she said.

The airport is considering a plan to build two additional levels of parking above lots A2/B2. Officials are completing preliminary designs on the project, which would cost at least $23 million and provide 2,200 spaces. The county hasn’t secured funding.

Airport officials suggest that travelers arrive at the terminal 90 minutes before flight time. Security measures imposed earlier this year could cause delays. Travelers should be prepared to have their luggage inspected and provide photo identification, Chambers said.

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Smoother Takeoffs

John Wayne Airport’s busiest week, Thanksgiving, is at hand, and travelers can expect congested traffic as well as parking shortages. But airport officials hope a recently opened ramp and new traffic signs will improve the parking situation. An overview:

1. Lots A2 and B2: Room for 1,122 cars; expected to be full most of Thanksgiving week.

2. Structures A1 and B1: Room for 3,400 cars; frequently full during peak holiday periods.

3. Main Street/Main Street Annex lots: Room for 2,500 cars; used when terminal lots are full.

4. New lot ramp: Direct link from terminal to Main Street lots. From airport, take Costa Mesa Freeway north, exit at Main Street parking ramp. Shuttle between lots and terminal runs every 15 minutes.

5. Freeway message signs: Information to be provided about airport parking and traffic conditions during the holidays.

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Busy Season

Thanksgiving travel, which last year peaked at either end of the weekend, can be made easier by taking some precautions. Here’s a look at John Wayne’s passenger activity last Thanksgiving and some tips on how to make this year’s journeys more pleasant:

Thanksgiving 1995

Travel day / passengers

Wednesday: 22,275

Thursday: 14,464

Friday: 11,717

Saturday: 19,175

Sunday: 24,584

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Travel Tips

Call ahead to check flight schedules.

Arrive at least 90 minutes before scheduled flight.

Clearly label luggage and be prepared to answer questions about it.

Have photo identification available.

Be prepared to have carry-on and checked baggage inspected.

Beyond Thanksgiving

Not just holiday traffic has been making John Wayne an increasingly busy airport. Passenger loads have been increasing consistently during the 1990s:

John Wayne Passengers

1990: 4,586,596

1991: 5,345,596

1992: 5,672,603

1993: 6,141,981

1994: 6,773,977

1995: 7,159,154

Source: John Wayne Airport; Researched by SHELBY GRAD / Los Angeles Times