There's a New Place to Catch Your Uber at San Francisco International Airport
Heads up, San Francisco International Airport travelers: The airport announced Tuesday that all ride-hailing pickups will be relocated from terminal curbsides to a parking garage beginning in June. According to SFGate, the decision comes as the airport looks to reduce the number of traffic related to ride-hailing pickups. With the move, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) joins other major airports like Seattle International Airport and New York LaGuardia in relocating pickups to a central location away from terminal curbsides.
Effective June 3, 2019, all ride-hailing pick-ups from passengers arriving at the airport's domestic terminals will be located on the top level of the airport's hourly parking garage serving the domestic terminals. Passengers arriving on flights that use the airport's international terminal will continue to meet their drivers at designated curbside locations. Additionally, all drop-offs will continue to be done curbside.
The relocation of airport pick-ups applies to all ride-hailing companies including Uber, Lyft and Wingz. According to SFGate, Uber and Lyft began offering riders $3 off their rides to select the domestic parking garage as their pick-up location. SFGate also notes that the airport moved all pooling services like UberPool and Lyft's shared rides to the hourly parking garage at the domestic terminals. However, the airport reports that even with services offering cheaper rides and moving pooling services, curbside pick-ups at the domestic terminals were only reduced by 21%.
In preparation for the relocation of ride-hailing pick-ups, the airport is making structural improvements to the upper-level of the domestic hourly parking garage, which will include the addition of curbside-style pick-up areas within the garage. In the future, the airport plans to add amenities for ride-hailing users including "enhanced canopies, automated sliding doors, parklets, shelters, and seating", according to a press release.
With the June 3 relocation of airport pick-ups for ride-hailing services, the airport is hoping to achieve a 45% reduction in app-based car service traffic on terminal roadways.
Passengers that plan to use ride-hailing services can expect terminal and roadway signage to reflect the move by June 3.
