TPA’s short term parking garage capacity will be limited over the next several months. This is due to construction related to the upcoming Red Express Curbsides. Signage at the airport will alert drivers when the garage is nearing capacity. Passengers can reserve a space ahead of time by using the parking reservation system.
Guests picking up or dropping off passengers can use the new Blue Express Curbsides or take advantage of the one hour of free parking in the Long Term Parking Garage. The Cell Phone Waiting Lot is also a good option for drivers waiting on arriving passengers.
Related: Get Ready for Airside D at TPA
The Red Express Curbs project scope includes clearing sections of the Short Term Parking Garage located above the Aviation Authority’s former administration building. The 1970s-era building will need to be demolished to make way for the new express lanes, hence reducing parking space availability in the Short Term Garage for several months.
The finished Red Express Curbsides will operate the same as the Blue Express Curbsides, which opened in November 2021. It’s for travelers without checked luggage. Passengers dropped off at the Blue Express Curbsides take the elevator, escalator, or stairs up one level to the Main Terminal Transfer Level. Then they can take a shuttle to their airside’s TSA Security Checkpoint, bypassing the ticketing level entirely.
For arriving travelers, it’s also a short walk from the Main Terminal to the Blue Express pick-up level. There they can meet their driver, avoiding baggage claim altogether.
Express lanes enhance the overall customer experience by improving the flow of passenger traffic. They also help alleviate the build-up of long lines at check-in, security, and various other areas throughout the airport.
The Red Express Curbsides are scheduled to be completed in 2025
