Dane County Regional Airport

To address significant growth in passenger activity and prepare for future growth, Dane County Regional Airport hired Walker Consultants to study parking and curb management issues.

The airport’s parking facilities were regularly operating near capacity. The terminal curb was congested with a mix of passenger vehicles, commercial deliveries, regional buses, ride hailing app vehicles, and more. With a terminal expansion project underway, this congestion was only expected to get worse.

Walker Consultants analyzed parking demand, curb use and management, the existing parking access and revenue control systems (PARCS), and the functionality of the cell phone lot/ride app staging lot. Walker also studied the need for additional parking capacity, as well as the financial performance of the airport’s assets.

Our recommendations included realigning uses along the curb, such as ride app staging and pickup areas, to reduce and manage congestion around the terminal. We crafted a plan to modernize all of the airport’s PARCS technology, which will improve the experience for visitors and streamline management for the airport. We also created pedestrian and vehicle wayfinding sign concepts to simplify navigation for visitors.

To stay ahead of concerns about future capacity, Walker also developed five conceptual designs for a new parking structure. Each concept included a high-level cost estimate and comparison of pros and cons.

With Walker’s analysis and recommendations, the airport has strategies to manage its parking and curb needs in the near term, as well as be prepared for growing demand in the future.