The Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport will have a media event today to show a high-tech feature of a $2.8 million parking improvement program at Little Rock’s airport.

The parking deck now has a “high-tech parking guidance system to save time and reduce stress in hunting for a parking spot,” says an airport news release.

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“The new system, which is named SmartPark, contains brightly colored lighting that works off of sensors to direct drivers to open spaces within the three-story structure.”

Clarififcation: The parking guidance system cost about $500,000. The $2.8 million parking control system covers many other changes, including new credit card readers and the like.

Parking in the deck costs $13 per day. For my money, the $8 peanut lot is the best buy, even if it is low-tech.

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Little Rock is the fourth airport in the country to have the parking system.

The full release:

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LITTLE ROCK, ARK. (September 17, 2015) – Motorists using the parking deck at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport may now enjoy a high-tech parking guidance system to save time and reduce stress in hunting for a parking spot.

The new system, which is named SmartPark, contains brightly colored lighting that works off of sensors to direct drivers to open spaces within the three-story structure. The system, which took a month to install, is the first to be located within the state of Arkansas. The technology is uncommon in the nation’s airports. Only three other U.S. airports, Baltimore, Dallas-Fort Worth and Portland, have a similar system.

SmartPark is a part of the airport’s $2.8 million parking improvement program, which replaced outdated equipment that was nearly 15 years old. The life expectancy for parking revenue equipment is approximately 10 years. With the new system, Clinton National Airport becomes the first airport in the country to reach EMV chip and pin credit card compliance standards that are mandated by October.

SmartPark contains three miles of conduit, six miles of cabling and 851 sensors. It is very energy efficient, and also provides a greener carbon footprint as vehicles are not circling in the garage for long periods of time.

Clinton National Airport is completing technology that will allow motorists convenient online features such as purchasing parking before arriving at the airport.

The airport has no current plans to raise parking rates due to implantation of the parking guidance system.

About Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport
As Arkansas’ largest commercial airport serving nearly 2 million passengers annually, Bill and Hillary Clinton National is home to six airlines with approximately 70 arrivals and departures each day. The state estimates that the airport makes a $1.2 billion economic impact each year. The airport is self-supporting using no local, state or federal tax dollars for operations. Visit www.clintonairport.com for more information.

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