A new proposal from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority seeks to improve parking at Dulles International and Reagan National airports. The proposal would commit $17 million to modernize the airports’ parking systems, The Washington Business Journal reported.
MWAA submitted this plan to its business administration committee. The agency is seeking to upgrade its Parking Access and Revenue Control System (PARCS), which manages vehicle entry and exit and track payments. MWAA says the system is “approaching end of life and does not have many of the capabilities expected of a modern PARCS.”
A new, updated system would include support for ticketless and ticketed modes, license plate recognition, remote gate control, and offline transaction capability. It would also support multiple payment options including scan-to-pay, mobile wallet, and traditional credit cards.
The proposal estimates a cost of $10.5 million for a five-year base-term contract. That includes $7.2 million for Dulles and $3.3 million for Reagan. The next five-year term would cost an additional $6.5 million.
MWAA’s board is expected to vote on the proposal on May 20.
Federal Funding for NoVA Airports
Two NoVA airports also received federal funding from the Federal Aviation Administration, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam announced.
Dulles will receive $41.8 million to partially fund construction of Concourse E, a new 14-gate, 400,000-square-foot terminal building, including connections to the Aerotrain and Metro. Concourse E is set to open in fall 2026.
This funding comes at the same time as a new plan from MWAA to revitalize Dulles by 2034. The accelerated approach to the airport’s master plan is expected to cost $22 billion.
Manassas Regional Airport will also receive $26 million from the FAA to replace its 82-year-old air traffic control tower. And, the FAA just approved the regional airport’s name change, Potomac Local News reported. It will soon rebrand as Washington Manassas Regional Airport.
“Investing in Manassas Regional Airport will not only make our skies and community safer, but also bring in jobs and help grow our local economy. The funding for Dulles, along with the funding for Manassas, will continue to support our region’s status as an international aviation hub,” said Subramanyam.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
