Waco Regional Airport reports early uptake of paid parking; signage and enforcement options under review

Airport Manager James Harris updated the council on the paid-parking pilot at Waco Regional Airport, saying the program is off to a slow start but showing signs of compliance. Harris reported month-to-month utilization around 35% and estimated staff are capturing payment from about 65% of vehicles in the lot. He said the average reported stay on the lot was about 4.1 days.

A councilor suggested adding QR-code reminders or signage after security to help travelers who scan a lot sign but then lose the zone number while passing through security; the councilor described an instance of scanning a sign on entry and then being unable to retrieve the zone number later. Harris said staff have added signage in the back of the terminal and will verify and add more where needed. He said staff are also consulting the city attorney about enforcement measures, including ticketing, towing and possible gate arms, and noted the city needs to redo parking lots and will consider design changes that could improve compliance.

Next steps: staff will verify signage placement, continue legal review of enforcement tools and explore lot redesign options as part of a longer-term solution. No enforcement action was adopted at the meeting.