By: Rachel Hawkins, NDG Staff Writer
Changes are coming to Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport but fear not. In the age of long lines at tickets counters, following Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) guidelines and hunting down luggage at the baggage carousel, these changes are going to speed things up.
On July 18, the airport announced they would be changing how the curbside areas operate. Starting September 8, all five terminals will be adapted to active loading and unloading zones and enforced by DFW’s Department of Public Safety.
Seeing how DFW Airport is one of the last airports to allow people to pick up and drop off their loved ones on the curb and idle in attended vehicles, because of the increasing amount of passengers served at the airport, they are hoping to improve the traffic flow and improve the congestion caused by the vehicles.
Many airports, including Dallas Love Field, stop curbside parking in 2001.
“There are more vehicles than ever at the Airport, and we want to keep traffic moving while providing safer access to our terminal,” said Sean Donohue, CEO of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
February 2015 compared to 2018, vehicle traffic increased by more than 245,000.
To help ease the transition, airport officials announced plans to add 1,200 one to two-hour parking spaces at all terminals at no extra cost. Employees in yellow vests outside of the terminals will help people adjust to these changes until the new rules become effective in September.
The airport does not have plans at this point to write tickets, but instead, the employees will instruct drivers to move along. Only vehicles left at the curb unattended will receive a ticket.
