travelnews: Portland Airport

[Carolyn Wooley <cwooley@oregon.uoregon.edu>]

INSPECTION RETURNS FOR SOME PDX PARKING SPACES 

In response to the heightened national threat level today, Portland
International Airport (PDX) will begin vehicle inspections, as needed, for
travelers who wish to park in the parking garage spaces closest to the
terminal building.

While vehicle inspections are not required in order to park in the
majority of the PDX parking garage, the voluntary inspections will allow
access to 1,100 parking spaces closest to the terminal building. The
program will meet heightened security requirements directed by the
Transportation Security Administration.

In conducting voluntary searches, security staff will visually inspect
vehicles. While exact search procedures are confidential for security
reasons, the searches essentially look for large objects  in vehicles,
trunks of vehicles, etc. Most searches will take less than one minute.
Vehicles larger than vans or sport utility vehicles (e.g., motor homes and
trucks with campers) are not allowed in the special parking spaces.

The program is identical to previous inspections conducted until security
restrictions were reduced just before Thanksgiving 2002. Fencing gates
will be reinstalled today to restrict access to the parking spaces except
when inspections are conducted by security staff. PDX will only offer the
parking spaces during the busiest travel times when additional parking
capacity is needed. Travel demand is not expected to require inspections
until early next week, at earliest.

During slow travel periods when ample parking capacity exists, gates to
the special parking spaces will remain locked. Vehicles parked in the
special spaces can exit at any times through barriers allowing exit while
preventing entrance. The special parking spaces are available on floors
3-7 of the parking garage. The parking garage offers about 3,300 parking
spaces including the special spaces. Rates are the same for all garage
parking spaces--$3 per hour or $16 per day.



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