Changes coming to parking at Columbia Metropolitan Airport — what’s new

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Changes are coming to parking fee structures at Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

Beginning May 1, Columbia Metropolitan Airport will be changing parking rates to support new parking features and ongoing updates to its parking facilities, according to a news release.

Parking rates in the Surface Parking Lot will change from $10 to $12 a day, and from $14 to $17 a day in the Garage Parking Lot, the release stated. Any pre-booked parking reservations made prior to May 1 will be honored at the rate of the transaction and not be affected by this rate change.

“Two years ago, we invested in a parking guidance system in the parking garage and that feature continues to be one our passengers appreciate and find helpful in locating open parking spaces,” said Mike Gula, CAE’s president and CEO, in the release. “The revenue generated from this increase will go to additional enhancements like this one, making our passenger’s overall parking experience as easy and convenient as possible.”

In recent months CAE launched a new parking capability called ParkMobile, a contactless parking management system that has been installed and is currently available across both the Surface and Garage Parking Lots, according to the release.

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This mobile application can be downloaded from the App Store and saved on a mobile device. Within the app, customers will upload credit card information and payment will be handled automatically at entry into a lot. At the conclusion of a trip, a QR code will be sent to the mobile device indicating payment has cleared. This QR code is then used in the exit lane indicated by the overhead signage. The app will also store all receipts and past transactions, making recall of needed information quick and accessible.

Some of the ongoing updates to CAE’s parking facilities that will continue as a result of this increase, according to the release, include:

• Ongoing operation of a pre-book parking software and platform management system.
• A second ADA accessible elevator has been installed in the Garage Parking Lot.
• General maintenance in the Garage Parking Lot including restriping, skylight resealing and pressure washing.
• Regular landscaping of both parking lots and grounds.

Handicap parking will remain free for the first day of parking with valid credentials, with all subsequent days charged at the regular rate of the chosen lot.