ARSAC's correspondence to SCAG (Southern California Associations of Governments) regarding the agency's Regional Aviation Forecast:

Letter Dated July 2, 2015
Attachments to July 2, 2015 Letter
Letter Dated July 21, 2015

http://www.metroplexenvironmental.com/socal_metroplex/socal_introduction.html

"The FAA has prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with FAA Order 1050.1E to document the potential environmental effects associated with the optimization of aircraft routes and the supporting airspace management structure serving aircraft operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) while departing from or arriving to the Southern California Metroplex area...

...The Draft EA for the SoCal Metroplex project was released and made available for public review and comment on Wednesday, June 10, 2015. A copy of the document can be downloaded from the documents webpage, or viewed at selected public libraries. The public is invited to comment by mail or email. Contact information is available on the public input webpage. Written comments will be accepted by the FAA until Friday, July 10, 2015.

The FAA invites the public to attend public information workshops for the Draft EA. During the workshops, representatives from the FAA and its Consultant Team will be available to answer questions about the project. The workshops will be open-house format and participants can attend anytime at the times and locations listed below."

We thank Mayor Garcetti and the Board of Airport Commission for their search to find a new Executive Director who has the expertise to operate one of the largest passenger traffic airports, LAX, and the rest of the LAWA airport family while exhibiting sensitivity to work with the surrounding communities to minimize airport impacts. 

Ms. Flint has been the director of Oakland International Airport which has on-going construction projects of various types—both landside and airside. We are pleased that Ms. Flint is experienced in development of public access as well.  Her expertise will help us continue to overcome decades of deferred maintenance at LAX.   Her dedication to air safety is important to everyone.  We understand that Ms. Flint has a history of working with local groups and business to improve surrounding communities and we look forward to working with her.

As Oakland International Airport director Ms. Flint has shown the ability to work within a network of regional airports.  We see this as particularly important because LAX is situated adjacent to the two major So Cal earthquake faults. LAX’s near monopoly of international flights and large percentage of domestic flights for the entire Southern California region is a risk we need not bear.  We understand that she will work to develop a cooperative effort with the other airports to improve their volume so that all of the region’s fortune is not in one basket.

We congratulate Ms. Flint for her decision to come to Los Angeles and look forward to a positive relationship that improves LAX while developing into a first class neighbor and partner in improving the visitor experiences for our tourists.

Denny Schneider, President of ARSAC, stated, “We welcome New Executive Director Flint and look forward to working with her to ensure that landside terminal and surrounding community changes are the best possible and that complementary airfield changes will provide the world class airport that Los Angeles and the region deserves.”

LAX continues to experience record passenger levels.  Reports of newly scheduled international and domestic flights into LAX are touted as the deliverer of great economic value for our local economy.  Economic studies show huge dollar value from these visitors entering Southern California at LAX, but similar income would also come if it were spread throughout our region.
Concentration at LAX has a cost. The local area cost is increased local traffic gridlock and oppressive pollution that would not be as substantial if the LAX “prosperity” were shared with the region.

There is increased financial disaster potential when virtually all air commerce concentrated into one location without a valid back up system.  Last month two nominal earthquakes occurred just north of LAX.  Had these quakes been stronger and associated with either of the two major earthquake faults adjacent to LAX the region could have experienced the disaster we know is overdue.

There’s lots of deferred maintenance at LAX in the Central Terminal Area (CTA) roadway, parking lots, and terminals.   LAX is being modernized—and that is not only desirable, but absolutely necessary.  LAX is undergoing the largest public works project in the region which is creating lots of needed jobs.

LAX will “look” better, but will it also make easy access a reality?  The jury is still out on that.  LAX landside construction projects will be at all-time levels.  The people mover and consolidated rental facility are critical.  However, the enunciated projects appear designed to provide “less costly,” quicker completion short term improvement instead of longer term, higher value improvements.

Why not spend even more and do it right once instead of spending even more over time to achieve the same desired result?  Major issues impacting many of the Central Terminal Area (CTA) elements are known.  Parking lots, roadways and even some of the terminals need to be replaced or have major structural refurbishments within ten to fifteen years or less.  Isn’t it better to spend substantial money integrating more expensive, but longer benefit, convenience redesigns rather than the short time refacing projects planned?

This month LAWA did something right!  The Proud Bird, a lexicon of Los Angeles history, was saved from demolition and given a new 20 year lease.  The restaurant owners are going to invest $5 million in renovation improvements while keeping the traditions and feel alive.  Thank you Mayor Garcetti and all of the elected who got the FAA to sign off on the lease.