Uber/Lyft staging area closed at San Diego airport
Early on the morning of Monday, January 7, the lot which has been assigned to rideshare (Uber/Lyft) vehicles was closed. Uber drivers and other rideshare companies arriving to stage for the collection of inbound passengers were met with yellow construction tape and metal barriers preventing their access to the lot.
The San Diego Airport requires all Uber and other rideshare companies to stage their vehicles through this location. These companies have set up a “first in first out” geofence around the rideshare lot in order to avoid rideshare drivers from parking unlawfully and creating congestion for other airport users. Drivers stage within the geofenced lot, waiting for airport passenger ride requests.
With no notice to drivers of the closure, rideshare drivers began parking within the cell phone lot for the airport, and then overflowing onto nearby access roads.
By 7 am, airport traffic enforcement began arriving, rousting the rideshare drivers out of the cell phone lot. Meanwhile, travelers arriving at San Diego airport, with no knowledge of the staging lot closure, began to see delays in arrivals of vehicles, and surge pricing for rides away from the airport.
With the staging lot closed, rideshare vehicles such as Uber, now have to originate from Point Loma or the downtown waterfront area to service the airport. With no staging area, passengers face longer wait times, and potentially higher pricing.
The staging lot does not affect outbound passengers who are delivered to terminal doors.
