MAILBAG:

As Orange County continues to deal with the issue of regional air-traffic demand, and the already over-burdened local airports, opponents and proponents alike fail to recognize that solutions are right in front of us. These solutions have the potential to:

 Begin immediately and cost less than expanding highways and airports

 Create jobs and businesses, contributing to a sustainable economy

 Ease air traffic at over burdened airports

 Reduce ground traffic congestion

 Abate environmental and public health concerns

Orange County must stop treating the issue of air traffic demand and capacity as a local issue. Narrowly focused solutions that rely on increasing activity at John Wayne Airport offer up a short-term “fix” that does not leverage available capacity at existing airports; address underlying transportation issues; or adequately support the region’s existing and future commerce.

Land planners have for some time treated air traffic demand and other related issues as regional problems that require regional solutions. The Orange County Business Council appears to agree, recently noting that Orange County must look toward regional solutions to resolve the transportation problems of the 21st century. It is now time for the various Southern California public and private groups to adopt this attitude and work together to craft a regional solution.

First, let us compare some of the different airports in the region:

JWA is the smallest airport in the region and serves the second largest number of passengers. Ontario, on the other hand, can currently accommodate in excess of 10 million annual passengers and can accommodate 32 million. This increase in service is supported and encouraged by the Ontario Airport, its operator (the Los Angeles World Airport) and the surrounding communities. The newer airports in Victorville, Riverside County or San Bernardino all are significantly larger than JWA in both size and capacity.

Recent publicly funded studies have demonstrated that many of the passengers currently served at JWA and LAX would be just as well served by the other airports in the region. More than 30% of the passengers utilizing JWA and a significant number of LAX passengers are “vacationers” who rely on public or group transportation.

The problem is how to shift passenger demand to airports that are not encumbered with capacity restraints or growth restrictions. The solution is to link passengers to their destination from the unencumbered regional airports. The cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, together with the Orange County Transportation Authority, initiated a study in 2008 that identified potential “linking” solutions that deserve further exploration and support.

Regional air traffic transportation solutions must contemplate linking passengers to their destination from airports in the region that have excess capacity, unencumbered by growth restrictions and a willingness to expand. Such solutions create a much larger market for air carrier investment while addressing other transportation problems and creating jobs. It is a win-win situation for all concerned.

KRISTINE MCKAY

Airport Working Group of Orange County

NANCY ALSTON

AirFair

JEAN WATT

Stop Polluting Our Newport