LAWA’s Hidden Agenda
The report noted by the Los Angeles Times, the Daily Breeze and by Rosendahl’s office that argues to move the north airfield runway 340′ north can be found at www.laxmasterplan.org/technicalStudies.cfm.
Councilman Rosendahl, Congress member Jane Harman, and County Supervisor Don Knabe all agreed that the report is both biased and flawed.
Over and over again LAWA, the FAA and the report describes problem as a “safety” issue. However the report on page 20, paragraph 2 & 3 it tells us the real reason. Changing the proportion of runway landings and departures between the south airfield and the north airfield.
“It is expected that the North Airfield Complex will experience a significant increase in the proportion of large, heavy aircraft as system user’s balance costs in operating from the North Airfield Complex versus the South Airfield Complex, particularly with Design Group V and VI aircraft.
The expanding and complex fleet mix using both the National Airspace System (NAS) generally and LAX specifically will generate a burden on the current airfield configuration and increase the likelihood of additional system errors, increase delays and manifest higher operating costs for the consumer, resulting in a negative impact on the overall safety and efficiency of LAX. “
This is not a safety issue as they are characterizing it. There is no significant safety issue today on the north airfield given the current number of landings and departures that occur there. This report clearly demonstrates LAWA’s intentions to change the proportion by lowering the number of heavy aircraft on the south airfield by 20% and moving them to the north airfield (increasing it 166%).
So the problem is what they are trying to hide and that is increasing the proportion of large, heavy aircraft to the North Airfield Complex without making it unsafe. The solution? Don’t change the proportions between to two airfields and you won’t have a safety issue.
Mayor Villaraigosa, you can stop this effort NOW and achieve instant success by ordering LAWA to look for new ways to “renovate” the airport.
http://www.laxmasterplan.org/
Is the plan refered to at this site inacurate?
“Center Taxiways to Improve Airfield Safety. The airport’s north runway system will be reconfigured to accommodate a center taxiway and improve the separation between the runways. The southernmost north runway (Runway 24L) will be relocated approximately 340 feet south, which will require the demolition of existing Terminals 1, 2, and 3, and the northern portion of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). On the south runway system, the southernmost runway (Runway 25L) will be relocated approximately 50 feet south to accommodate a new center taxiway between the south runways. The new center taxiways will improve airfield safety and reduce the possibility of runway incursions. ”
R. Franz
That’s the ‘green lighted” plan that they have approval for. However they’ve changed their minds and they want to go north instead towards the community.
The argument they’ve laid out is that it will cost too much and its too disruptive to demolish terminals 1, 2, and 3 as originally planned.
Apparently they aren’t too concerned about cost to residents and businesses. The investment made by our families living in Westchester/Playa del Rey can’t be reduced to a simple mortgage payment.
Karen Dial (the Drollinger heir) was right. It took 30 years for Westchester/Playa del Rey to recover from the last expansion (It’s still recovering in my opinion). We don’t want to destroy the community yet again because they’re being frugal.