Authority gives airport parkers a sign

Ben Godar

As Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport officials continue to fight for

customers with a new, privately owned parking lot, the Airport

Authority is planning to further cut parking rates and upgrade its

signs.

The authority, following a closed-session meeting Monday,

announced it would spend $109,000 on new signs directing customers to

its own parking lots, airport officials said.

The signs would be posted along airport property to replace

existing, smaller signs, airport spokesman Victor Gill said. The

exact size, number and locations of the signs have yet to be

determined, he said.

The move to purchase the new signs comes after Zelman Development

Co., owner of adjacent Star Park, filed requests with the city to add

signs along Hollywood Way and Empire Avenue directing customers to

its lot, Vice President Paul Casey said.

“We’re hoping to install three or four new signs, so I’m not

surprised [the airport] wants to replace their own signage,” he said.

The Star Park signs would be about 25 feet high, Casey said.

Zelman also hopes to put a large sign on the northwest corner of its

property, near a crosswalk leading to the airport terminal that was

recently closed by airport officials, he said.

Airport officials also plan to cut rates for short-term and valet

parking, Gill said. The daily maximum for the short-term lot will be

reduced from $18.18 to $15.45, while the daily maxi- mum for valet

parking will drop from $12.73 to $11.82, Gill said.

The airport previously cut its economy, short-term and valet

parking rates nearly in half. That move was made in December, shortly

before the opening of Star Park.

Revenue from airport parking has dropped from about $16 million

before the 2001 terrorist attacks to about $11 million this year,

Gill said. Airport officials expect that number to drop to $10

million during the 2003-2004 fiscal year.

Gill said reduced rates and increased competition for customers

are the two reasons for adding the signs.

“All of these are business decisions aimed at preserving our

customer base,” he said.