OFFICIAL - New KCI Terminal

[GRID]

Speaking of buses. If the buses are in the garage, I hope that means that they will still separate arrival and departure buses. Rental car and parking buses should only pick up or drop off. It's a mess when they do both which is how KCI is now.

I'm assuming the buses will drop off at the departure level curb and pick up in the garage? Maybe not?

[KCPowercat]

No idea. My assumption was one level for shuttle drop off and arrival but only at one stop for the terminal. So full bus of departing customers drops off then moves up a to fill up with arriving customers and takes back off for the parking lot.

I think south of the rental facility was where the new economy lot was in some rendering that included the apm. I thought the new garage was like 2x the capacity of the current 2 garages.

[GRID]

But that would put departing passengers on the arrivals level. So you get off the bus, have to cross the street and then make your way up to the main departing terminal upstairs? That would be annoying to me and not what you would typically find at airports at all.

I know you don't know the details. This kind of stuff interest me so I'm just curious about it. I guess we just wait and see.

[GRID]

So after a little research, the garages had 6600 spaces and you also had the parking lots between them. So lets just say 7000 spaces very close to the terminals.

The new garage is 6300 spaces. I know KCI was forced to use two garages, but there was a time when KCI would fill all three garages during peak times when they were all in use.

My point is that KCI will ultimately need to maintain an economy lot of similar size. That is if the airport gets its traffic back and gets even busier than it was prior to covid.

Maybe the airport will build something south of the RCF for economy parking, but unless they structure the parking (which then would not be economy), they won't have enough room. So they will still need at least part of the existing lots. They could install a covered lot there (like the parking spot) and charge more than economy, but les than the garage. But that still leaves getting the APM out to the big lots.

I find it odd that everything about this new airport is actually smaller than the original three terminal KCI. KCI was so overbuilt. It's really too bad that it was never really utilized. Hopefully a major expansion is needed within a couple of decades.

[normalthings]

I think the long-term plan was still 5o move economy closer by the rental car place and maybe connected by a peoplemover.

They did just repave C economy lot and A has been used for C 0arking. I assume they will just use C for economy after opening given that as there will be so much more garage parking

I always thought the people mover would just go to the existing lots. Where would they move the lots closer? There is no place closer for massive surface parking lots. They could do a lot about half the size of the current economy lots south of the rental car facility I guess. Seems like that would be a better spot for the employee lot which is really far away.

People mover is to existing CONRAC and new economy lots. New Economy lots are today's parking lots and green area between C and CONRAC.

Also, are you sure the new garage will be that much larger than three garages and all the other weird parking between them etc? I really have no idea. It might be.

There will be a variety of parking options close in to the terminals.

[normalthings]

I'm assuming the buses will drop off at the departure level curb and pick up in the garage? Maybe not?

No, I think it will all be the same level. That is how it works at other airports

[normalthings]

I find it odd that everything about this new airport is actually smaller than the original three terminal KCI. KCI was so overbuilt. It's really too bad that it was never really utilized. Hopefully a major expansion is needed within a couple of decades.

Old terminals had a lot of space in the wrong places. New terminal cuts down unneeded areas, increases space where its needed, and makes everything much more efficient.

[GRID]

The existing garages had 2232 each so close to 6700. Plus the circle parking.

The new garage is 6300. Not splitting hairs, just trying to be accurate.

What do you mean by "today's parking lots" So the APM will go to the existing economy lots?

So it sounds like ultimately KCI would build a mid tier parking option between the RCF and old terminal C and keep the existing economy lots. Which actually makes sense for long term growth.

[GRID]

I find it odd that everything about this new airport is actually smaller than the original three terminal KCI. KCI was so overbuilt. It's really too bad that it was never really utilized. Hopefully a major expansion is needed within a couple of decades.

Old terminals had a lot of space in the wrong places. New terminal cuts down unneeded areas, increases space where its needed, and makes everything much more efficient.

Yes, I know. But at the time KCI was built, it was built to be a much busier airport which never happened obviously for reasons we all know about.

[normalthings]

I find it odd that everything about this new airport is actually smaller than the original three terminal KCI. KCI was so overbuilt. It's really too bad that it was never really utilized. Hopefully a major expansion is needed within a couple of decades.

Old terminals had a lot of space in the wrong places. New terminal cuts down unneeded areas, increases space where its needed, and makes everything much more efficient.

Yes, I know. But at the time KCI was built, it was built to be a much busier airport which never happened obviously for reasons we all know about.

yea, they put the space in the wrong places (in a world with security). Their original design really never made sense for an O&D airport either.

[KCPowercat]

Went in the world are you counting a garage that hasn't been used in almost a decade?

I have no doubt kci well have enough parking. I feel like that's what kci officials care about the most given the income steam. Don't forget all the 3rd party parking options that have shown up and new one continue to come in.

I to an interested in the operational details like where shuttle will drop off. That's the fun stuff to think about.

Do we have any hints on how rideshare and cabs will work? If this has been figured out why not start informing the interested public

[GRID]

Went in the world are you counting a garage that hasn't been used in almost a decade?

I have no doubt kci well have enough parking. I feel like that's what kci officials care about the most given the income steam. Don't forget all the 3rd party parking options that have shown up and new one continue to come in.

I to an interested in the operational details like where shuttle will drop off. That's the fun stuff to think about.

Do we have any hints on how rideshare and cabs will work? If this has been figured out why not start informing the interested public

Because that's what KCI had?? The two garages that were in use recently were full quite often which is why airport started offering valet. My only point is that the new garage will not be that much more spaces than the old KCI, if its more spaces at all. So the airport will need to keep the same amount of economy parking and possibly even add more like a mid tier priced option near the RCF as I mentioned.

Unless KCI is just not going to grow much that is. I would hope KCI gets up closer to 20 million passengers a year though over the next 20 years, getting the airport into the mid thirties rank rather than 40s.

And yeah, it would be nice to know more about how all the logistics of cabs, ride share, buses etc will work. It seems odd to have bus drop off being in the garage, but it sounds like that may be the case. I can't recall another airport doing that. Drop off is always at the terminal headhouse curb.

[KCPowercat]

But only 2 garages were full so saying the new terminal isn’t bigger than the 2010 garage capacity isn’t really apples to apples.

Maybe there will be a drop off for economy on the departure level and then pickups for economy on the departure level? That would seem to work well and keep people from having to change levels. I think using the garage is really smart for ground transport transfers. Keeps the car lanes cleaner and provides weather protection while I wait. I hope Ubers are in there too

[DaveKCMO]

And yeah, it would be nice to know more about how all the logistics of cabs, ride share, buses etc will work. It seems odd to have bus drop off being in the garage, but it sounds like that may be the case. I can't recall another airport doing that. Drop off is always at the terminal headhouse curb.

"In the garage" is a misnomer. RideKC buses will pickup and drop off in arrival travel lanes between the garage and headhouse. It's not a far walk and it's completely covered by the departures roadway above. It all looks very expected and logical in person.

[KCPowercat]

Other airports I always see bus drop off at an outer curb not directly next to entrances. This seems to be the same as that?

[KCPowercat]

I think it’s time for KCI to start giving out some of these details.

[GRID]

My guess is buses, like cabs, ride share etc, will quickly drop off on the departures level at the curb and then move along.

Buses, ride share etc will pick up inside the garage on the arrivals level where they can layover for a few minutes waiting to fill up.

This is how most airports function.

[GRID]

Other airports I always see bus drop off at an outer curb not directly next to entrances. This seems to be the same as that?

at bwi, it's the opposite. Buses drop off (and pick up) at curbs, private cars are in outer lanes. But I don't think the new KCI will have divided main lanes like that. The lanes divide into the garage. But I have seen it both ways. However drop-off always on departure level.

I'm sure however they are doing it will be fine. I'm just curious to how they are doing it. Being dropped off in the garage may work, but it seems inconvenient to put departing passengers on the arrival level.

[KCPowercat]

Agreed. Getting real curious. Based on some connected comments seems logistics has been decided. Let the public see the details!

[normalthings]

A top Southwest executive said Monday the airline is ready to explore forging a pact that would make Kansas City International Airport its chief sustainability hub for trialing new technologies as part of efforts to sharply throttle carbon emissions.

https://www.flatlandkc.org/news-issues/ ... g-at-kci/