Unraveling the mystery of Newark Airport’s new ‘Lot 151’ – New Jersey 101.5 FM

I have a mini-vacation coming up, flying out of Newark Liberty International Airport for a more tropical climate.

And I was recently shopping around for airport parking options. As I have written about previously, I strongly prefer to park on airport property rather than in a local off-airport lot it is usually cheaper, faster, and more convenient.

As you may know, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey which operates the airport offers several parking options at a variety of price points. Ranging from $25 a day at the P6 Economy lot, to $38 a day at the P4 Daily garage, to $44 a day at the Short-Term Terminal lots. (Note: Those are the current prebooking rates.)

Imagine my surprise when I discovered a brand new option on the airport web site. For a parking lot I have never heard of before.

Lot 151. It just oozes mystery and intrigue. Maybe it's because the name is so close to "Area 51". Maybe because 151, among other things, shares its name with a popular high-proof rum.

An updated EWR parking map shows Lot 151 is situated on the northern edge of airport property, at the corner of Brewster Rd. and Conrad Rd.

According to the Newark Airport parking booking site: "Available for a limited time! Safe and official. Free shuttle-bus service direct to terminals; travel time 10 minutes depending on the terminal. One bus stop closer to terminals than P6 Economy, also lowest price."

The fine print indicates that a human staff member will be on-site to verify a prepaid booking, and allow access to and exit from the lot. The price seems to be equal to the discounted prepaid rate for the nearby P6 Economy lot $25 a day.

But here is the most curious part that is all the information available about Lot 151. There is no other mention of "Lot 151" on the Port Authority web site. Nor anywhere on the internet a Google search returns very few relevant, useful entries. (Other than a recommendation from one Redditor who apparently parked there in 2022.)

So is this parking lot real? Will there be an actual attendant there? With frequent shuttle service to EWR's terminals?

Yes, Lot 151 is real.

I took a drive up to Newark this week, and discovered the infrastructure is in place to turn it into a public parking lot. There were no cars parked there yet, and no attendants on-duty.

It is clearly meant to be an overflow lot.

Prepaid online bookings are available from Saturday, November 18, 2023 to Wednesday, November 29, 2023 coinciding with the busy Thanksgiving travel weeks. (I suspect those dates will be extended through the Christmas holiday season too, if needed.)

However, I'm not sure Lot 151 is a good option for the average airport traveler, except as a last resort. The directional signage is particularly bad you need to know exactly where you're going, and/or follow signed to "North Area" and "Building 151" to find the lot.

There is also no telling how frequently shuttle buses will run between Lot 151 and the terminals. (They will probably share service with the P6 Economy lot, which is only a half-mile down the road.) Security could be an issue too, given how remote and desolate the northern apron of the airport is.

The bottom line: Lot 151 is a relatively new option at Newark Airport. But park at your own risk. Personally, I'll be leaving my car somewhere less mysterious on my upcoming trip.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Check out Dan's weather blog or follow him on Facebook for your latest weather forecast updates.

Take a look at the top travel destinations in the country for Thanksgiving in 2023.

[WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter private or abandoned property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing.]

Gallery Credit: Sandi Hemmerlein

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Unraveling the mystery of Newark Airport's new 'Lot 151' - New Jersey 101.5 FM