Tri-Cities Airport gets Uber-friendly

You don’t have to guess where your Uber or Lyft will be when coming and going from the Tri-Cities Airport.

A curbside space has been set aside for the transportation companies.

And the public airport also benefits from the potential uptick in traffic.

The Port of Pasco collects $1.50 every time Uber drops off or picks up a rider at the Tri-Cities Airport.

The agreement dates to late 2016, when Uber first made inroads in the Tri-Cities, but before it reached an agreement that let it operate in Pasco last month.

Before the agreement, Uber could only drop off passengers in Pasco, including at the airport.

The city’s policy of requiring fingerprint checks for drivers was a deal killer for Uber, a standoff that only ended last month when the city dropped the requirement.

Uber secured a business license and began operating on Dec. 28. It already operated in the rest of the Tri-Cities.

But even with the restrictions, Uber dropped off 1,517 passengers at the airport in the first three quarters of 2017.

That raked in $2,275.50, the port said.

It is too early to predict what Uber traffic will look like, but with pick-up service now available, the airport is getting ready.

It established a pick-up and drop-off zone on the approach to the terminal for Uber and other so-called “transportation network companies” that operate through smartphone apps.

Uber drivers may pick up and drop off passengers in the zone.

But if drivers want to hang out at the airport, they have to move into the short-term parking lot. Parking there is free for the first 25 minutes.

Tara White, the airport’s business manager, said Uber implemented software that identifies when its drivers enter the airport zone, automatically triggering the fee.

The port receives monthly reports and quarterly checks. It can audit Uber’s records as well.

Traditional taxis operate under a different agreement.

Lacking the technology to identify when they’re on or off the airport, taxis have the option to pay a $70 month fee for the right to park in the taxi zone, which is just past the terminal.

White said five taxi companies have agreements to use the taxi zone, as does the Grape Line shuttle service operating between Pasco and Walla Walla.

Taxis that don’t have agreements can still pick up and drop off passengers at the airport, but aren’t eligible to park in the taxi zone.

All money earned from airport operations supports the airport.

This story was originally published January 3, 2018 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Tri-Cities Airport gets Uber-friendly."