Chokepoints: Places where your trip to RDU can bog down and how to deal with them

If your summer vacation plans involve Raleigh-Durham International Airport, you’ll have plenty of company.

Summer is RDU’s busiest season. Last summer, more than 1.35 million passengers passed through the airport each month, peaking in July.

And this is shaping up to be another record year.

The airport has ambitious expansion plans to try to keep up with demand, but none of that will be ready this summer. That means there are several places where your trip through the airport can get bogged down.

Below are four chokepoints the airport plans to address in coming years and what you can do about them now.

One bit of advice that applies to all four: Be patient and give yourself more time than you think you’ll need. Everything may not go as quickly or smoothly as you expect, and it doesn’t hurt to end up at the gate early if it does. The standard industry line is to arrive at the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international one. Especially this summer.

Parking

The situation: RDU has more than 11,000 spaces in the parking decks and a surface lot between the passenger terminals, and another 7,500 divided between three remote lots. The parking decks sometimes reach capacity as does Park Economy 3, the largest remote lot. So if you arrive thinking you’ll park within walking distance of your gate without planning ahead, you may be surprised.

The long-term fix: RDU doesn’t plan to expand the parking decks; in fact, some work near Terminal 2 will require it to demolish and replace older sections of the decks, resulting in the temporary loss of about 2,500 spaces starting as soon as next year.

But RDU is nearly tripling the size of Park Economy 3, off Aviation Parkway and Interstate 40. From I-40, you can see where contractors have cleared trees and moved dirt to make way for about 8,000 additional spaces. The expanded lot will open in phases starting next year.

In the meantime: Reserve your parking. Consider booking and paying for a parking space at least 24 hours in advance at rdu.com/parking/. Booking online will guarantee a spot in the lot of your choice, even when the electronic signs around the airport say the decks or lots are “closed” or at capacity.

If you haven’t reserved a spot, check rdu.com before you leave for the airport to see where parking is available. The airport’s homepage shows what percentage of spaces in the parking decks and remote lots are full.

Wherever you park, give yourself time to find a space. Booking in advance doesn’t reserve a particular spot, so you’ll have to hunt for an open one among the thousands in the decks and lots. To make that search easier in the decks, RDU has finished installing a system of lights, cameras and digital message boards to direct drivers to available spaces.

If you’re not paying in advance, make sure you have a credit or debit card. RDU does not accept cash for parking.

Security

The situation: The lines at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoints can surprise some people, particularly those who arrive before dawn thinking no one else will be traveling at that hour. About a quarter of all flights that leave RDU each day take off before 8 a.m., and the TSA says its busiest screening times are 4:30 to 7 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.

The long-term fix: RDU plans to double the space for the TSA checkpoint in Terminal 2 when it expands the building starting next year. That will provide more space for additional lanes and for queuing. Two years ago, RDU added two lanes to the checkpoint in Terminal 2, and the TSA installed new X-ray machines in both terminals that speed the process by making it easier to see what’s inside bags.

In the meantime: Plan for time at the TSA. The agency says it strives to screen passengers in less than 30 minutes in the standard line and 10 minutes or less in the TSA PreCheck line, but it can take longer during peak times.

The screening goes faster if you’re prepared. Have your boarding pass and an acceptable form of ID ready to show the agent, and be aware of what you can and can’t bring on a plane. This webpage, www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/, addresses hundreds of possibilities, from aerosol insecticide to yogurt.

For those willing to pay and submit to pre-screening, there are options to speed the process. The TSA PreCheck program screens people in advance and puts them in a database that allows them to go through a different checkpoint lane with a shorter line and faster screening process. Fees start at $78 for a five-year membership.

Travelers can also pay monthly fees to join CLEAR, which uses eye scans and fingerprints to verify people’s identification. Members check in at the company’s kiosks and avoid having to wait in line to show identification to a TSA agent, though they still go through the screening process.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a REAL ID, the form of drivers license or state ID that meets tougher federal security standards. Those or their equivalent won’t be needed until May 7, 2025.

Coffee and food

The situation: Food and beverage is one area where RDU is still catching up from the COVID-19 pandemic. Several eateries that closed a few years ago have yet to be replaced, and those that are open can get busy. Lines for coffee in the morning can be especially long.

The long-term fix: RDU expects a dozen bars, restaurants and coffee shops to open by the end of the year. Three will debut in June, with the rest coming in the fall. All but one of them will be in Terminal 2, which handles the bulk of passengers.

In the meantime: This is another reason for arriving a little early to give yourself time to hunt for a shorter line or a kiosk that might have what you want. Just beyond security, look for digital boards that list all the eateries; the one you want might be down the concourse.

The pick-up line

The situation: Remember when we said a quarter of RDU’s flights leave before 8 a.m.? A lot of those planes arrive the evening before, and the airport has a rush of incoming passengers then. The line of cars to pick up people at Terminal 2 can get backed up all the way to Terminal 1.

The long-term fix: RDU wants to redesign John Brantley Boulevard, the road that loops in front of the terminals, to move traffic more smoothly.

It also plans to reduce crowding at the curb with a new ground transportation center, where taxis, hotel shuttles, limos and rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft will pick up and drop off passengers. Meanwhile, you’ll eventually be able to drop off or pick up a rental car in a new multistory building north of the parking decks, within walking distance of the terminals, eliminating the need for shuttles.

With the new construction, the crosswalk that slows traffic at the upper level of Terminal 2 will be replaced by a pedestrian bridge. But all of this is years away.

In the meantime: There are several things you can do to avoid loitering in front of the terminal, which will make things go smoother for you and everyone else.

First, before you leave for the airport, check the status of the incoming flight with the airline or at rdu.com.

Use RDU’s cell lot and wait for your incoming passengers to call or text when they’ve gotten off the plane. The lot is at 1000 Trade Drive, off Aviation Parkway and Airport Boulevard, a few minutes’ drive from the terminals. You’ll see signs from I-40.

Wait at least 15 minutes after someone has landed to go to the terminal to pick them up, or ask them to text you when they’re headed for the door. It takes time for passengers to exit the plane, make their way through the terminal and collect checked bags.

Consider arranging in advance to pick up your arriving party outside the upper level at Terminal 2. That’s normally used for departing passengers only, but RDU makes exceptions when it’s busy. Because people don’t linger in this area, the traffic often moves more smoothly.

NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com