Some parking rates are going up this year at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco.

Port of Pasco commissioners on Jan. 10 voted to increase the daily parking rates to help pay for capital improvements at the airport. The new rates take effect on March 1.

Long-term and credit card lot rates will be $12 a day, up from $10 a day.

Short-term parking will be $16 a day, up from $13 a day.

Hourly parking parking will remain at $2 an hour, and the first 25 minutes in the short-term lot still will be free.

The additional money will help pay for the $2-plus million in parking improvements planned this year, including expanding the credit card lot and adding new payment technology, airport officials said in a statement. Parking fees also will help with about $140 million in long-term capital projects such as expanding the ticketing, administration and baggage claim areas, adding one to two more aircraft gates, and adding jet bridges, the statement said.

Those improvements are expected to happen over 10 to 12 years.

“The Tri-Cities Airport doesn’t collect local property taxes and operates solely on revenue generated by airport users. This is important because we don’t want Franklin County residents to have to subsidize the airport with their property taxes. The increased parking rates will ensure that the airport can continue to be self-sustaining and to pay for critical improvements," said Buck Taft, airport director, in the statement.

Parking rates last went up in 2017.

The new daily rates are comparable to other airports in the Pacific Northwest, the statement said.

Go to: flytricities.com/interact/parking.