OFFICIAL - New KCI Terminal

[FangKC]

America Built an Actually Good Airport

...
Now, near the end of a nine-year, $8 billion rebuild of its main terminals and roadways, LaGuardia has become an unexpected hero for American infrastructural renewal. It is an incredible airport.
...

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/ ... linkin.bio

[earthling]

I hate to feed into this and legitimize it but I here are the improvements I think could be made to make it easier for people

* Create a cell phone lot right off the Bern St. exit. The one now is dumb and too buried back and doesn't feel "close" for.a driver. Right off Bern would be an easy stop off and drop back onto Cookingham to get into terminal
* Create a better return to terminal road. Going up to Paris and waiting on lights will just discourage anybody from doing it.
* Earlier signage
* Goes without saying but enforcement. The curb lane isn't unmanageable like the old terminals were, easy for cop on foot to get it under control
* Make 30 minutes in the garage free again

All of this makes sense. In addition to better permanent signage directing to cell lots, they should add temp signage earlier used for construction with various creative/catcy messages about the cell phone lots as well, for the first year. Blitz pickup drivers about how important it is to use cell phone lots with some humor or something catchy.

[herrfrank]

I think people forget that the police used to be way more hardcore about asking people to move and even writing tickets (post 9/11 and for years after). They seem to have tapered the once-enthusiastic enforcement over the last decade, but it sounds like the new terminal necessitates it. I remember quite a few family and friends complaining about the airport cops harassing them for waiting and even a few getting tickets for it, but I haven't heard a complaint or even seen a cop attempt to interact with waiters for years.

There were two parking cops in particular who were hard-core about waiting at the curb. Both have disappeared since COVID. One was an older dude usually at terminal C in the evenings. He was brutal, but effective. The other was a youngish Asian lady at terminal B during the daytime. She always seemed to get on my Dad's case, and they had words a few times. From 2013 until 2019 I was flying bi-weekly into the old MCI, so I did get to know many of the "personalities." LOL

Bring those two back and the problem disappears -- they were vocal and persistent.

BTW it was always "illegal" to park or even to stand at the curb even back in the 1970s. It was lightly enforced before 9/11 and not enforced at all since COVID. Only stopping is allowed (which means someone actively loading and unloading people or luggage -- standing is an attended car (driver) waiting with no loading/ unloading) The easy way to remember this is a taxi stand.

[KCPowercat]

I'll have some videos soon of the drive up. Sun was in a bad spot so may not look great. I've been wandering pre security for awhile some thoughts


Cars are just queuing up still in the curb lane of arrivals. Easy to see why it backs up. New message signs up telling people to use two lanes for arrivals. That overhead traffic sign makes it seem like only one. That's an easy fix.

I anticipated this would be a problem until people got used to the idea of being able to park 2 deep along the curve. Some people in the attached video seem to get it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg1LhIbZF3Q

The video is a little over the top. I would not call the problems caused by traffic congestion a "rude awakening". A small adjustment will be required, that's all.

Local news (any news) is like this with any story.

[im2kull]

I agree about the signage, and they had ample news media for the past couple of weeks where they could have made the public more aware of the changes in pickup and drop-offs.

Imagine the outcry if the airport authority had publicly advertised that pick up and drop off at a new terminal wouldn't be as convenient as at the existing terminals. Especially after arguing that the exact opposite was true and that it would be just as convenient... LOL

[im2kull]

Perhaps the problem is calling the temporary / short term parking lot a "cell phone lot". WTF would anyone not needing to pull off to use their phone go park there? Signage and verbiage. That's an easy fix. Stop the stupidity.

[KCPowercat]

I agree about the signage, and they had ample news media for the past couple of weeks where they could have made the public more aware of the changes in pickup and drop-offs.

Imagine the outcry if the airport authority had publicly advertised that pick up and drop off at a new terminal wouldn't be as convenient as at the existing terminals. Especially after arguing that the exact opposite was true and that it would be just as convenient... LOL

It is more convenient if idiots didn't break the law and park at the curb.

[KCPowercat]

Perhaps the problem is calling the temporary / short term parking lot a "cell phone lot". WTF would anyone not needing to pull off to use their phone go park there? Signage and verbiage. That's an easy fix. Stop the stupidity.

I mean do you not understand why they call it a cell phone lot at every airport in America?

[KCPowercat]

Drive through videos

Longest one started as soon as exited off 29 all the way through turnaround onto Paris, going through arrivals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHp3ioOuHus

2nd arrivals one different camera angle - started from Paris turn around
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAXvI0-wrfo

departures level - started from Paris turnaround
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf_kI5Hazyg

Random photos I took throughout
https://imgur.com/a/Hv7uIHa

[hartliss]

Drive through videos

Longest one started as soon as exited off 29 all the way through turnaround onto Paris, going through arrivals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHp3ioOuHus

2nd arrivals one different camera angle - started from Paris turn around
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAXvI0-wrfo

departures level - started from Paris turnaround
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf_kI5Hazyg

Random photos I took throughout
https://imgur.com/a/Hv7uIHa

Thanks for sharing. Great POV for those who haven’t been up there yet.

[KCPowercat]

I think this is the sign that can be most improved. It makes it look like arrivals is only that very right lane versus both. "Ground transportation" sign in general is kind of confusing that it's really Commercial and it should just say stay left versus saying it's that whole lane.

The subsequent sign then properly shows two lanes for arrivals. You can see the temp construction signs in the video that now say use two lanes but can't read them due to the angle/sun/refresh rates.
https://youtu.be/AHp3ioOuHus?t=147

[Pork Chop]

I agree about the signage, and they had ample news media for the past couple of weeks where they could have made the public more aware of the changes in pickup and drop-offs.

Imagine the outcry if the airport authority had publicly advertised that pick up and drop off at a new terminal wouldn't be as convenient as at the existing terminals. Especially after arguing that the exact opposite was true and that it would be just as convenient... LOL

The outcry would probably be the same as for the long lines now.

[kboish]

Gotta say, this really is just user error for the back ups we are seeing.



And I will admit, I have literally done this at the old terminals because of how lax it was. People are used to being able to do this. This just reinforces the fact that this will get worked out over time. Pay $1 and you can do this. Or wait in the cell phone lot.

[Sani]

Can we get an announcement saying, "The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in the red zone."?

[Cratedigger]

Don't you tell me which zone is for loading and which zone is for unloading!

[beautyfromashes]

I know the standard is to park and wait for a call, but this city has never done that. Why not design it with several lanes (think Nebraska Furniture Mart pickup) for all arrivals? Why just one curbside lane? Why not just give the public what they're used to?

[dnweava]

I know the standard is to park and wait for a call, but this city has never done that. Why not design it with several lanes (think Nebraska Furniture Mart pickup) for all arrivals? Why just one curbside lane? Why not just give the public what they're used to?

Such a BS excuse, just because they are used to breaking the rules... people in KC are such entitled A holes when it comes to parking. I see people in KC parked in handicap spots at QT almost daily, i see 10s of cars just left in loading zones every day downtown, people park across the sidewalks, they double park, etc... I have nothing but pure hate for this cities parking culture.

I've always used the cell phone lot or parked in the garage. I have zero sympathy for rule breakers. Tow their cars immediately.

[GRID]

I know the standard is to park and wait for a call, but this city has never done that. Why not design it with several lanes (think Nebraska Furniture Mart pickup) for all arrivals? Why just one curbside lane? Why not just give the public what they're used to?

Such a BS excuse, just because they are used to breaking the rules... people in KC are such entitled A holes when it comes to parking. I see people in KC parked in handicap spots at QT almost daily, i see 10s of cars just left in loading zones every day downtown, people park across the sidewalks, they double park, etc... I have nothing but pure hate for this cities parking culture.

I've always used the cell phone lot or parked in the garage. I have zero sympathy for rule breakers. Tow their cars immediately.

How do they even have a chance to leave their cars at all? I so much as slow down at BWI or DCA, there better be somebody walking toward my car or the cops will be yelling and other cars will be honking.

[beautyfromashes]

Such a BS excuse, just because they are used to breaking the rules... people in KC are such entitled A holes when it comes to parking. I see people in KC parked in handicap spots at QT almost daily, i see 10s of cars just left in loading zones every day downtown, people park across the sidewalks, they double park, etc... I have nothing but pure hate for this cities parking culture.

I've always used the cell phone lot or parked in the garage. I have zero sympathy for rule breakers. Tow their cars immediately.

I wasn't talking about parking on the curb. Lots of airports allow curbside pickup. They should have made enough space for people to wait for a few minutes to pick someone up from the curb.

[Sani]

Such a BS excuse, just because they are used to breaking the rules... people in KC are such entitled A holes when it comes to parking. I see people in KC parked in handicap spots at QT almost daily, i see 10s of cars just left in loading zones every day downtown, people park across the sidewalks, they double park, etc... I have nothing but pure hate for this cities parking culture.

I've always used the cell phone lot or parked in the garage. I have zero sympathy for rule breakers. Tow their cars immediately.

I wasn't talking about parking on the curb. Lots of airports allow curbside pickup. They should have made enough space for people to wait for a few minutes to pick someone up from the curb.

But there isn't another airport in the country that lets you wait at the curb for "a few minutes" for your party to come outside and find you. If you're picking someone up, they need to be on the curb FIRST, before you pull up. The bizarre layout of the old terminals made it possible to wait at the curb, I know — I did it several times myself. But the rule at every airport with a departures level and an arrivals level, like the new terminal, is that you can only have active loading and unloading at the curb. I mean, hell, the Airplane! joke is 40 years old, and everyone at the time understood the concept.

They've got those big hi-res screens on the drive in; why not use them to remind folks to use the cell phone lot or park in the garage if they want to meet their party inside? A big ol' "NO CURBSIDE PARKING" would help, too.