Repairing and Maintaining Airport Parking Structures While in Use (2013)

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3 OBJECTIVE Airport parking structures are critical support elements of the airport system. Since many airports operate around the clock every day of the year, their parking structures are in use at all times, even during repair and maintenance. This synthesis focuses on how parking operators maintain and repair in-use airport parking structures while minimizing adverse impact on airport operations or patron usage. UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES OF PARKING STRUCTURES AT AIRPORTS Airport parking must accommodate air travelers, meeters and greeters, airport employees, and other visitors requir- ing hourly or daily parking. As such, airport parking serves as a link between transportation modes, allowing drivers to become pedestrians and then airline passengers. At large or medium-sized hubs, there is typically more than one type of parking accommodation: close-in parking structures, which are usually located next to the airport terminals; and off-site parking lots, which may be operated by the airport or by other enterprises. Access between close-in parking structures and terminals is usually by foot; vehicles are primarily self- parked, though valet parking may also be available. Access to remote lots may be by foot or by motorized conveyance, usually free shuttles. Drivers choose between closer-in or remote parking based on price, availability of spaces, and level of convenience and services provided. Therefore, fees for on-site airport parking that provides vehicular cover as well as proximity to the ter- minal are typically among the highest; and as a result, closer- in structures generate the highest revenue per parking space. Airport parking structures are major capital assets that pro- vide significant non-aeronautical revenue for airport opera- tions and influence patrons’ impressions of the overall airport facilities. They typically operate 24/7, and are expected to pro- vide easy access to terminals, sufficient available spaces, and bright, clean, and safe surroundings. Like other capital assets, such as runways, taxiways, and terminals, parking structures require regular upkeep and maintenance. And, as many trav- elers get their first and last impressions of the airport entering and departing the parking structures, commercial airport hubs competing for passenger traffic should consider continuing to upgrade and maintain their parking structures that serve as a gateway to their airport and geographical regions. DIVERSE ELEMENTS OF AIRPORT PARKING STRUCTURES Airport parking structures vary in their layouts, construction methods and materials, and the environmental stressors they face. The design of airport parking facilities is affected by the available space, vehicle access, demand for parking, airport layout, and climate. The facility can be a stand-alone park- ing structure or a complex of interconnected facilities. Access from the parking structure to the airport terminals may include pedestrian bridges, walkways, tunnels, shuttle buses, trams, trains, or people-movers. These connecting elements are criti- cal to planning and preparing for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic changes during the repair process. The geographic location and climatic exposure of airport parking structures cause them to suffer varying degrees of deterioration and impacts to anticipated service life. Accord- ing to American Concrete Institute (ACI) committee report 362.1R-12 (1), concrete airport parking structures are designed for five geographic zones with different exposure conditions and different weather-related wear. For example, structures in the northern Zone III climate are exposed to freezing and thawing cycles, as well as chloride ion penetration into the con- crete from de-icing salts. In contrast, structures in the south- ern Zone I climate are rarely exposed to any of these factors. Further description of these geographic zones is presented in chapter three. Even without environmental stressors, physical structures deteriorate over time, requiring maintenance to ensure contin- ued function. In this document, maintenance will be defined to include routine (regular) maintenance and preventive maintenance. Definitions of design service life and mainte- nance terms are presented in the Glossary. Similarly, even with regular maintenance, parking structures periodically need repair, restoration, or rehabilitation. To take the broadest view, the word “renew” has been used to include repair, rehabilitation, restoration, reconstruction, and preserva- tion. More specific definitions for repair, rehabilitation, restora- tion, and preservation are presented in the Glossary. CHALLENGES Meeting parking demand and maintaining a high level of service for parking patrons during repair or maintenance work pose significant challenges to airport operators. Parking chapter one INTRODUCTION

4 managers try to limit the duration of repair and reduction of parking spaces (i.e., disruption to patrons) while maximizing cost-effectiveness of the repair. Factors to consider in deter- mining the number of available parking spaces that can be taken out of service during repair work include the number of parking spaces and length of time those spaces are unavailable to meet parking demand; the location of the parking spaces relative to the terminal; the time of year the work is scheduled; projected revenue loss; construction area conditions; any addi- tional projects scheduled for the same time that may interact with this project; and traffic flow and accessibility. Taking parking spaces out of service not only results in a likely increase in the amount of time patrons need to locate available parking spaces, thereby delaying their arrival at the air departure gate or other airport destination, but can also add entry or exit time at the parking structure. Since airport park- ing patrons are usually in a hurry to catch a flight, any delay can add to their anxiety. To retain airport parking customers, it is imperative to minimize the inconvenience and anxiety level of the patrons during the repair construction. Therefore, the timing and duration of closing spaces are considerations for construction planners. Managing parking space closures for a few hours during the middle of the night is significantly less complicated and disruptive than closing parking spaces for days or weeks during a peak traveling period. Revenue loss from the closing of spaces, particularly for an extended period, can have a significant financial impact to the airport. In addition, the temporary loss of patrons can result in a permanent loss of revenue if customers find more convenient alternate means of accessing the airport. Business development and marketing statistics have long suggested that the cost of recovering a lost customer may be six to seven times more than the cost of acquiring a new customer (2), so the financial impact of inconveniencing patrons is not only significant but could be long-lasting. Construction sites are characteristically unsightly, and if not properly addressed can produce a bad impression of airport facilities. Airborne dust, construction materials and debris, and high noise levels can be both a safety hazard and a nuisance. Furthermore, incidental damages to vehicles during repair could result in monetary claims by vehicle owners. Additionally, when parking spaces and driving lanes are blocked off for repair construction, it is essential that tempo- rary vehicular and pedestrian traffic circulation patterns are designed and laid out with safety and simplicity as high pri- orities. To avoid traffic bottlenecks and unsafe interactions between vehicles and pedestrians, it is essential to include maps and signage in planning. METHODOLOGY The report approach and methodology included a review of literature, a survey of selected airports, and a synthesis of sur- vey data. The review of literature covered the following top- ics: parking metrics for capacity, demand, levels of service, and quality of service; asset management planning for airport facilities and for parking structures; life-cycle analysis for parking structures; and communications among stakeholders, parking patrons, and the community. A selected group of 15 airports was contacted, from which 12 agreed to participate in the telephone survey (an 80% par- ticipation response) (Table 1). Of survey respondents, eight are large commercial hubs and four are medium commercial CODE NAME OF AIRPORT HUB SIZE STATE NO. OF PARKING DECKS ATL Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport Large GA 8 DFW Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport Large TX 14 DIA Denver International Airport Large CO 7 LAS McCarran International Airport Large NV 3 MDW Chicago Midway International Airport Large IL 2 MSP Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport Large MN 6 ORD Chicago O'Hare International Airport Large IL 1 PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Large AZ 5 PDX Portland International Airport Medium OR 2 RDU Raleigh–Durham International Airport Medium NC 4 SDF Louisville International Airport Medium KY 1 4 AC muideM tropriA enyaW nhoJ ANS TABLE 1 SURVEY PARTICIPANTS

5 hubs. The airports that provided data are listed in Appen- dix C. The locations of the 12 surveyed airports are shown in Figure 1. Note that these airports are located in both the northern and southern climates as well as in the east, central, and west regions of the United States. The questionnaire and telephone conference calls sup- plied information on each airport’s parking structure(s); its regular maintenance programs; repair, restoration, and reha- bilitation programs; issues that impact parking operations during renewal; critical steps to maintain services and user satisfaction; communication issues among involved parties and customers; and specific case studies. Appendix A pre- sents a copy of the survey questionnaire and summaries of collected information from the 12 respondents. REPORT ORGANIZATION Chapter two describes the overall asset and infrastructure man- agement for airports. Airports can align the long-term goals for the airport parking structures with the overall airport planning. Chapter two also presents key components of the asset man- agement plan element for airport parking structures, including the usage level of the airport parking structures throughout the year and their financial operating data. Chapter three discusses the impact of existing conditions and how different structures can be maintained to extend their service life. Since different structural systems have different inherent characteristics, chapter three presents factors that affect durability and service life of each type of structure. Chapter four discusses routine and preventive mainte- nance approaches that can be established depending on the long-term goals of each facility. Survey results indicated that almost all airports have an active routine maintenance pro- gram, though the level and extent vary. In addition to main- tenance, more in-depth repair, rehabilitation, and restoration are needed to maintain and extend service life. Chapter five presents important steps in maintaining a high level of service for airport parking structures while minimiz- ing inconvenience to parking patrons. Chapter six outlines the importance of communication between the airport facility operators and the parking patrons, airlines, airport tenants, and the community in general. Chapter seven summarizes findings and recommenda- tions for further research. Appendix A contains the survey questionnaire and results. Appendix B presents case examples. Appendix C lists survey participants. Appendix D is a checklist of typical structural elements of airport parking facilities. FIGURE 1 Locations of the 12 surveyed hubs.