McCarran updates parking pay system

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005 | 11:14 a.m.

McCarran International Airport has unveiled a new automated parking pay station system for passengers using the international and charter terminal.

The airport's $160,000 Designa Access Corp. system replaces an older ticketing operation that wasn't providing the level of service McCarran officials wanted for its customers, said Dan Busch, parking manager for the airport.

The 270-space surface parking lot at Terminal 2 had an ungated "honor system" that accepted cash only and gave change in dollar coins.

The German-designed Designa system manufactures a time-stamped ticket that is redeemed for an exit pass when the customer pays.

"We knew we needed to upgrade our system to provide the level of customer service that we wanted," Busch said. "This is a ticket-in, ticket-out system with the time in written to a magnetic stripe."

The pay station accepts currency ranging from $1 to $100 and also accepts credit cards and Visa-branded debit cards. Once parking is paid, the station issues a printed receipt and a card that raises the exit gate.

The system has been on line since November but was officially introduced to customers today. It handles about 250 to 300 transactions a day.

In addition to the $160,000 cost of the system, McCarran paid $80,000 to build the new entrance and exit gates.

Parking at the Terminal 2 lot is $1 an hour up to an $8 daily maximum.

McCarran's international flights arrive and depart from Terminal 2, where there is a U.S. Customs and Immigration facility. Several charters also use the terminal.