Where to park when waiting to pick someone up at Denver International Airport
DENVER (KDVR) — Despite signs that discourage it, people are often parked along Pe?a Boulevard while they wait to pick up someone from the Denver International Airport.
DIA and the Denver Police Department say parking on the side of the 11.1-mile road to the airport is a safety concern and can be a dangerous situation
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“This is because there is often a high volume of traffic and the posted speed limits along Pe?a vary from 45 mph to 65 mph. Pulling back onto the roadway creates the potential to cause collisions,” the airport told FOX31 in an email.
That’s why officers with the Denver Police Department patrol the areas where people park on the shoulder when possible.
“These patrols can lead to warnings or citations for people parking illegally. DPD urges people to not use the side of the road to wait for arriving passengers as this can lead to potentially dangerous situations,” DPD said.
Denver Police added that parking on the side of the road also causes traffic congestion on Pe?a Boulevard.
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Denver PD was unable to specify a crash incident caused by someone who parked on the shoulder waiting to pick someone up, but data shows that crashes along Pe?a Boulevard have become more and more common over recent years.
According to the airport’s Pe?a Boulevard development master plan, there were more than 1,250 total crashes on the road between 2016 and 2023. Nearly half of those were rear-end collisions due to congestion.
Last year, according to the plan, there were over 80 crashes on Pe?a Boulevard, plus over 80 crashes on connecting interchanges and ramps.
Where to park when picking someone up from the airport
Many travelers may want to avoid parking at the airport due to its history of auto theft, so it is a common practice to get rides to and from the airport.
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If you are going to pick someone up and they haven’t made it to the passenger pick-up spot, you’ll need to park and wait for the best timing or take a lap and circle back to pick them up a few minutes later. There is no waiting allowed at the passenger pickup area.
Officials discourage parking on the shoulder of Pe?a Boulevard due to safety concerns, but the airport has other places where people can park.
You can use the garage parking or short-term parking, but each costs $7 per hour, and you will likely get charged even if you are there for less than an hour.
DPD and the airport both recommend using the cell phone lot, also known as Final Approach, which is free to use.
Cell phone lot offers multiple amenities
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Equipped with wifi, restroom facilities, and restaurants, the airport website describes the cell phone lot as “the ideal place to wait for a call from your traveler letting you know they are ready for pick up.”
The cell phone lot is about three miles away from the main terminal and includes 253 parking spaces, free wifi, a lounge for adults and seating for kids, flight information display boards, a convenience store and a gas station.
The cell phone lot is located at 7684 N. Wenatchee St. and is always open. To get there, take Pe?a Boulevard inbound to the 75th Avenue exit, which is just past the E-470 overpass. Take that exit and turn left onto Gun Club Road, then take another left onto 77th Avenue.
To get to passenger pickup at the terminal from the cell phone lot, head east on 78th Avenue and turn right on Jackson Gap Street, keep heading south until you reach the eastbound ramp back onto Pe?a Boulevard, which will take you to both the east and west sides of the Jeppsen Terminal.
There are plans to expand and make Pe?a Boulevard safer in the works right now. There is also work underway on a new ramp for Gun Club Road which will connect it directly to Pe?a Boulevard.
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