ROMULUS, Mich. — Drivers picking up travelers at Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus will get a new place to wait before the holiday rush, and the airport says it will stop tolerating cars idling at the terminal curbs once it opens.
The Wayne County Airport Authority is building the North Cell Phone Lot at Rogell Drive and Burton Drive, with roughly 145 spaces. Opening is set for late November, and it will replace the existing staging spot along the East Service Drive.
Authority CEO Chad Newton said in a statement Monday that because the new lot is on the Evans Terminal side of the roadway, pickups will no longer start with a wait by the I-94 exit and a U-turn back toward arrivals.
When the lot is finished, airport police will enforce a zero tolerance rule at the curbs outside both the McNamara and Evans terminals. Only active loading and unloading will be allowed, violators can be cited with a $70 fine, and unattended vehicles will be towed. Tadarial Sturdivant, a senior vice president for emergency, support services and operations, said the policy keeps traffic moving and curb space open.
Motorists can still use the older South Cell Phone Lot by Eureka and Wayne roads, and in either lot they may stay put until their traveler confirms they are waiting at the curb.
Section: More Detroit MI crime news
