LOS ANGELES AIRPORT: During the month of December, nearly $1,500 was left behind at security screening lanes at LAX. The loose change was collected as passengers emptied their pockets, depositing the contents into plastic trays, before walking through the screening devices that detect metal objects. When they retrieve their belongings from the trays, the coins are frequently left behind. A safe on the top floor of a Century Boulevard office building holds the forgotten coins, mostly American money but also a few Canadian dollars, Japanese yen and euros.Monthly takes from the airport's nine terminals run into the thousands of dollars according to a Transportation Security Administration financial specialist who runs the agency's LAX Checkpoint Cash Currency Program.
The TSA doesn't count loose change collected each month from the nation's 429 commercial airports, but officials estimate it runs into the tens, and possibly hundreds, of thousands of dollars. The pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters left at LAX added up to $3,994.47 in November, $1,405.95 in December, and about $2,200 in January, TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said.
Palm Beach County Commissioners voted unanimously to raise airport parking fees by 25 percent to 33 percent. The Commissioners also voted to eliminate free parking for the first 20 minutesz at the airport's short-term lot. The changes, which Airport Director Bruce Pelly said could go into effect as soon as March 3, are expected to bring in an additional $2.6 million a year, about 26 percent more than the $9.9 million the airport took in from parking last year.
Pelly said the airport needs more money because of security costs, which increased 36 percent to $6.8 million a year. It is estimated to cost up to $5000 per day in extra security costs when the terror alert is raised.
Also, he said, the County Commission's "living-wage" rule, which requires higher pay for contract employees, and improved shuttle-bus service have increased costs.
PBI Airport Parking - Discount Parking at Palm Beach International Airport
Airport Shuttle West Palm Beach
Source: Palm Beach County Department of Airports
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