Busy Mineta San Jose Airport Looks To Address Traveler Parking Crunch
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- Mineta San Jose International Airport is expecting passenger traffic to hit an all time high this year, with more than 15 million travelers for 2019, according to airport officials.
That is almost a million more than last year. With the increase in travelers, the airport is facing a new for more parking.
"Everyday, we're breaking records with the number of passengers flying in and out of San Jose. And so the need for parking is critical," said airport spokeswoman Demetria Machado.
On Columbus Day weekend, the airport ran out of public parking for 7 hours. Luckily, solutions are on the way.
SJC has announced it is building a big new multi-story parking garage on the northeast side of the airport, replacing the old surface lot known as economy lot 1.
"This will add a minimum of 900 parking spaces which will be available to our customers in 2021," Ms. Machado said.
The airport is also announcing another 900 spaces are being made available immediately at the Terminal A garage. But there's a cost to airport staff.
The garage had been set aside for employees only. Now the workers must park on the far west side of the airport and shuttle in.
One worker said it's not that bad.
"There's drawbacks to everything in life and I love my job, so it's not a problem," said Vicki Salvador.
But others complained to KPIX 5 that the shuttle service is slow and the trip adds an extra half hour to their day.
"We value our airport employees, but our airport is known for its ease and convenience. So by freeing up
900 spaces, we're able to provide that to our customers," Machado said.
People using the airport can instantly check the status of parking garages and lots by going to www.flysanjose.com/parking.
