via Wkyc:
Cleveland City Council has given the green light for all commercial ground transportation businesses to be charged $4 per trip when taking passengers to and from Hopkins Airport.
The legislation, passed at the council’s meeting on Monday, extends the fee to include limousine services, off-airport, and hotel shuttles. Previously, only Uber, Lyft, and taxi services were required to pay the fee.
The fee will be capped at 100,000 trips per year.
Airport officials believe expanding the fee will help generate $1.8 million dollars per year.
The decision to extend the fee comes as Hopkins Airport continues to see a growth in the number of passengers arriving or departing from CLE. Over the past five years, 2.5 million more passengers have made their way through Hopkins Airport.
The increase in passengers has caused traffic congestion, delays in capital improvement, and a decay in the airport’s infrastructure. Last week, Cleveland City Council authorized the spending of up to $3 million dollars for a new Ground Transportation Center, plus outdoor canopies for picking up and dropping off passengers.
