The fact that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest of its kind means that doing anything there is likely going to take some extra time. Funneling down to the airport in a car, waiting in security checkpoints, taxiing on runways, or even waiting in line at a concourse Chick-fil-A all require patience.
For anyone who intends to park on Atlanta airport property in the near future, a deeper vat of that virtue will be necessary.
As part of the same ATL Next campaign that has led to the fancy canopy construction and reconfiguring of the arrivals as the North and South Terminals, a major renovation is underway at Hartsfield-Jackson’s home parking decks.
Work began on April 20th on the lower level of the South Parking Deck. Crews are not shutting the entire deck down at once, but instead are shutting down parts of levels in phases.
But even winnowing small parts of the airport parking supply can make big differences. Anyone that has parked on airport property before has seen the sheer amount of people that choose to do so. Finding a space in the daily lots can sometimes take as long as waiting in a security line.
With air travel at higher demand than ever before, the decrease in parking spaces at Hartsfield-Jackson is going to make grabbing the remaining ones even more of a premium.
Thankfully, there are plenty of transportation options to and from the Airport.
For those traveling light, MARTA is a tremendous option and many MARTA stations offer overnight parking options. MARTA does get trickier, the more baggage one carries, but $2.50 one-way fares mean a family of four can “park” for $20. And the train often moves faster than Atlanta traffic.
Uber and Lyft are options that take people to the Airport without any worries about parking. But with ATL being such a popular destination — and one that is often at least 20-30 minutes from most Metro Atlantans — rideshare trips there can be quite pricey. People can often park for a week at the Airport for the cost of the rides there and back .
Hartsfield-Jackson does, for now, have its full North and West decks open and the International Hourly deck, too, for those moving globally. Travelers can actually book parking spaces ahead of time in both the West and International decks at myparkATL.com.
Travelers also have numerous offsite parking options that provide complimentary shuttles to and from the terminals. My wife and I use Peachy Airport Parking, which picks people up from and delivers them back to their very parking spaces. And all of the offsite parking companies’ shuttles pick people up in the same zone below a terminal. Search online for the best parking service that fits your needs. Booking spaces ahead of time saves money and eliminates the stress of finding spots.
According the ATL Next projects page, the North and South Decks are filled to capacity half of the year. And their aging structures simply require replacement. The construction of the ATL West Deck and an offsite facility on Sullivan Road help alleviate this interruption.
The South Deck won’t be finished until at least next year and maybe 2024. North Deck construction doesn’t begin until that time. The North Deck replacement won’t finish until 2027, the project’s webpage says. So there will be some kind of parking interruption for at least the next five years.
The best elixir for air travel — whether it’s the flights themselves or the parking beforehand — is preparation. Booking parking ahead of time, no matter where, locks in a rate and a space.
Whether driving or riding, airport-goers simply need to plan extra time. Atlanta traffic stinks. Check with the WSB Traffic Team on 95.5 WSB or the Triple Team Traffic Alerts App to see how traffic is flowing for the airport commute. And checking MARTA’s Twitter feed for service delays or changes is a must before hopping on a train or bus.
Parking through 2027 is going to take longer. And we know that Chick-fil-A line will wrap the concourse.
Doug Turnbull, the PM drive Skycopter anchor for Triple Team Traffic on 95.5 WSB, is the Gridlock Guy. He also hosts a traffic podcast with Smilin’ Mark McKay on wsbradio.com. Contact him at Doug.Turnbull@cmg.com.
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