[Wednesday], Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport staff unveiled a new cell phone waiting area and new traffic changes to the front of the terminal that will take effect April 4.
Airports around the country use cell phone waiting areas to ease congestion at the terminal curbside and that is exactly what airport staff want to happen.
“We’ve tried several options over the years to try and reduce congestion at the front of the terminal,” Kelly Campbell, the executive director of the airport said. “Cell phone waiting areas have had success at many airports and we decided to create one here.”
The free cell phone waiting area is located just north of Regis Street on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Drivers pull into a marked space and wait for their passengers to arrive at the airport. Once passengers have arrived, collected their luggage, and are curbside, they call their ride who then comes and picks them up. Drivers or passengers who do not have cell phones can park in short or long term parking lots which both offer up to 30 minutes of free parking.
Another way airport staff plan to ease congestion in front of the terminal is by not allowing vehicles to park and wait in front of the terminal.
“We’re asking travelers to make only immediate pick up’s and drop off’s at the terminal,” said Campbell. “We need drivers to get in and out as quickly as possible so we can avoid the traffic jam situations we’ve seen in the past.”
Beginning April 4, Lubbock police officers will patrol the front of the terminal enforcing this new rule.
Other new changes will take place at the front of the terminal including a designated waiting area in Lane 1 for taxis and limousines. Travelers will find the designated area between Entrance Doors 2 and 3. Travelers needing shuttle buses for off-site parking and Lubbock hotels will find those buses in Lane 3. Lanes 2 and 4 will be for thru traffic only.
“We hope these changes as well as the addition of the cell phone waiting area will create a smoother traffic flow in front of the terminal,” stated Campbell. “We want travelers to have a happy experience at the airport whether they’re coming or going.”
Information on the changes including maps is available on the airport’s website, www.flylbb.com.
(Press release by City of Lubbock)
