New Parking System and Other Improvements Coming to Yakima Airport

Oct. 24—Travelers using the Yakima Air Terminal next month will notice new parking fees and terminal improvements.

New vending machines and charging stations were added this month inside the passenger terminal, and the new parking system debuts Nov. 1, city and Yakima airport officials announced.

The vending machines, located both before and after passengers go through security screening, provide new food and drink options that reflect the results of a recent online survey.

The survey, posted at flyykm.com and the city's website during August and early September, asked what type of coffee should be served at the airport and what type of "grab and go" food should be available. Results are listed in the sidebar adjacent to this story.

Feedback from the survey prompted airport officials to add fresh sandwiches, pastries, microwavable food options and fresh coffee from Treasure Valley Coffee Roasters in the Tri-Cities, the airport noted on its Facebook page.

Last week, four charging stations on a wall-mounted bar with eight chairs were added to the passenger waiting area, near the boarding gate.

"Our maintenance team has been hard at work helping improve the traveler experience at YKM," airport officials stated on their Facebook page.

New parking system

Another aspect of the air travel experience is parking, and Airport Director Rob Hodgman believes the convenient and relatively affordable parking is one of the advantages passengers have at the Yakima airport versus others in the region and state.

Previously, parking in the nearly 200-space lot between Washington Avenue and the passenger terminal ranged from $1 for the first hour to $10 for an entire day, with drivers using their parking space number to pay with credit card at a self-serve kiosk near the terminal entrance.

Parking was free at the airport for the past several months as the new parking system, set to begin on Nov. 1, was established and installed. The new parking rates will be $2 per two-hour increment or $15 per day.

Initially, payment will only be accepted via credit card at a kiosk located inside the breezeway of the terminal. However, YKM will roll out more payment options over the few weeks, such as Text2Pay, Park Smarter App and a QR code, Hodgman said in a news release.

"We appreciate the public's cooperation and patience as we resume paid parking at YKM with upgrades to our parking payment technology," Hodgman added.

A free cell phone lot where drivers picking up passengers may wait for 30 minutes also has been established just west of the passenger terminal.

In July, the Yakima City Council agreed to double the fines for unpaid or unauthorized parking at the airport.

Vehicles parked in no-parking areas or the controlled parking areas without paying would be subject to a $20-per-day fine, double the previous amount, said Brian Aaron, assistant city prosecutor. Aaron noted the new fine would be consistent with parking penalties elsewhere in the city.

Terminal expansion plans

The Yakima City Council recently took another step toward future expansion of the YKM passenger terminal, a process that could eventually result in an expanded, two-story terminal with five gates, larger baggage claim area and restored second-floor restaurant.

A resolution authorizing city and airport officials to seek a Federal Aviation Administration grant for $1.3 million was approved by council members earlier this month. The application would pay for the first phase of terminal infrastructure improvements such as the roof and electrical, water, sewer, fire suppression, HVAC and telecommunication systems.

If approved, the FAA would provide 90% of the funds, with the airport providing a 10% match of $133,333 through its passenger facility charge program.

Hodgman, the airport director, discussed renovation plans and the need and use of federal money for them with council members in August. He hoped the following three phases of the project could be accomplished in the next decade:

—An upgrade to existing building systems (such as the roof, electrical, water, sewer, fire suppression, telecommunications and HVAC), followed by renovation and expansion of the second floor.

—Additions to the east wing to expand passenger access, build a new baggage claim area and restore the second-floor restaurant.

—Add a west wing to expand passenger access, baggage screening, air cargo capacity and house a new airport administration office.

All three phases of the terminal improvements would cost between $40 million and $50 million, Hodgman said. He hoped most of the funding could eventually be obtained through the federal Airport Terminal Program, which is specifically targeted toward replacing aging airport infrastructure.

Work on the first part of Phase I (updates to the terminal's roof and existing building systems) should start in the late spring and early summer of next year, Hodgman said.

The terminal originally was built in the 1950s and received renovations in 1968 and 1997-2000, Hodgman added. An airport master plan completed in 2015 found multiple areas that fall short of modern standards and "are approaching the end of their useful life," he said.

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