Currently, in bad weather conditions ILS approaches on 13R at Kennedy essentially limit LaGuardia to just one runway. NextGen would remove this conflict by allowing aircraft to use the closer-in curved approach under all weather conditions. ]]>
Regional Plan Association today released images, program materials, video and audio files of "Upgrading to World Class: the Future of the New York Region's Airports," held Thursday, January 27th at the JP Morgan Chase Conference Center in Lower Manhattan. Recap the days' events including keynote speeches by Marilyn Taylor, Chris Ward, Robert Steel and Michael Huerta and the presentation of RPA's long range planning study, "Upgrading to World Class: The Future of the New York Region's Airports," the centerpiece for discussion. More materials, including presentations and transcripts will be posted as they become available. We'll be announcing the releases on Twitter, so sign up to follow us.
]]> Documents
News Release
Full Report (23.4MB)
Executive Summary (1MB)
Technical Appendices (7MB)
Conference Program (7MB)
Media
Morning Keynote: Airports and the World Class City
Marilyn Jordan Taylor, Penn School of Design, SOM
Audio (MP3) | Video (vimeo) | View the Presentation (PDF)
The State of the New York Region's Airports: Key Challenges
Christopher O. Ward, Executive Director, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Audio (MP3) | Video (vimeo)
An Airports Agenda for the New York Region
Overview of Recommendations plus Q+A
Jeffrey M. Zupan, Senior Fellow, Transportation, Regional Plan Association
Audio (MP3) | Video (vimeo) | View the Presentation (PDF)
Panel - NextGen: Making it Work Best
Moderated by Brian Sullivan, Anchor, FOX Business Network
Tom Bock, General Manager for Operational Enhancements, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Captain Steve Dickson, Senior Vice President, Flight Operations, Delta Air Lines, Inc. and Chairman, RTCA Task Force 5
Mitchell Moss, Director, Rudin Center for Transportation Policy andManagement and Henry Hart Rice Professor Urban Policy and Planning at New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
Sharon Pinkerton, Vice President for Government Affairs, Air Transport Association
Audio (MP3) | Video (vimeo)
Panel - Expansion: Not If but When
Moderated by: Erik Engquist, Politics Editor, Crain's NY Business
Barbara E. Kauffman, Executive Vice President, Newark Regional Business Partnership
Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City
Robert Yaro, President, Regional Plan Association
Chris Cain, Chair, Forum of Regional European Airports and Head of the Airport Development Team, Newquay Airport, United Kingdom
Audio (MP3) | Video (vimeo)
Afternoon Keynote: Airports and the Economy
Robert K. Steel, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, City of New York
Michael P. Huerta, Deputy Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
Introduction by Elliot G. Sander, Chairman, Regional Plan Association
Audio (MP3) | Video (vimeo)
News Coverage
January 27, 2011
Key airport expansions face geographic hurdles by Erik Engquist (CrainsNewYork.com)
Clearing the NYC Region for Takeoff by Paul Bubny (GlobeSt.com)
Planning group calls for $15B expansion of Newark, LaGuardia, JFK airports by Steve Strunsky (NJ.com)
To Expand, Airports May Need Radical Alterations, Report Says by Patrick McGeehan (NYTimes.com)
Expanding Area Airports Is a Must to Answer Demand, Say Planners by Jim O'Grady (WNYC.org)
Financial 411: Expanding New York and New Jersey Airports by Jim O'Grady (WNYC.org)
January 28, 2011
Expanding New York Airports Essential to Economic Future (AirportBusiness.com)
Report calls for Newark, JFK Airport expansions by Chris Hawley (AP.org)
FAA Foresees Airport Expansion, NextGen by Erik Engquist (CrainsNewYork.com)
A Plan Proposes to Reconstruct Newark A, JFK and LaGuardia Air Ports by Nicol Nicola (Examiner.com)
Friday Morning News Roundup by Shane Smith (JerseyCityIndependent.com)
Study says Stewart could handle 7 million passengers in 20 years (Mid-HudsonNews.com)
In Order to Survive, Airports Must Begin To East Rest of the City (NYPress.com)
Report calls for expansion of Kennedy, Newark airports by Ellen Wulfhorst (Reuters)
Planners Say NY's Economy Will Strangle If Airports Don't Expand by Jim O'Grady (TransportationNation.org)
Study: Stewart should handle more traffic by Hank Gross (WAMC Northeast Public Radio)
Research group's report calls for Stewart Airport to expand by Michael Randall (Times Hearld-Record)
January 30, 2011
Editorial: Report on Stewart is Sobering (Times Herald-Record)
January 29, 2011
Lehigh Valley International Airport could play a role in easing air traffic congestion at New York area airports, study finds. by Nick Falsone (LehighValleyLive.com)
January 31, 2011
An Airport Whose Time May Not Come by Patrick McGeehan (NYTimes.com)
Planners Propose Expansion of NY-Area Airports by Michele McDonald (Aol Travel News)
February 1, 2011
Editorial: Demand puts pressure on airports (Newsday.com)
]]>(NY, NY) Regional Plan Association, working alongside experts, stakeholders and members of the Better Airports Alliance, today released a comprehensive report and recommendations on increasing the New York region's overall airport capacity and efficiency over the next generation. Entitled "Upgrading to World Class: The Future of the Regions Airports," the report is the result of a two-year long collaborative planning and research effort. Most notably, the report calls for the expeditious implementation of NextGen technologies to transform the nation's air traffic control system and immediate planning for the eventual expansion and/or reconfiguration of John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports.
The RPA report will be the centerpiece for discussion at a full-day conference being held today, hosted by RPA and the Better Airports Alliance at JP Morgan Chase. The conference, also entitled, "Upgrading to World Class: The Future of the New York Region's Airports," will bring together hundreds of top business, civic, philanthropic, media and government leaders from across the metropolitan region and nation to discuss the report findings.
]]> Download:Body scanners aren't the only cause of airport delays this holiday season. Here in New York, we suffer from a more fundamental problem: too much demand and too little capacity. Over 100 million passengers a year move through John F. Kennedy International, La Guardia and Newark airports, which handle a third of the nation's flights. Our airports, however, were not built to meet this demand and now rank as the worst nationally in delays. According to the Partnership for New York City, costs to the regional economy from flight delays caused by congestion at our three major airports totaled more than $2.6 billion in 2008 and will reach $79 billion by 2025.
New York has some of the world's greatest assets for attracting business, trade and tourism. But with passenger counts expected to continue climbing, we must upgrade our airports to maintain New York's status as a world-class city.
Chris Cain, an expert in European airport policy, has found that the more economically advanced a city, the greater the importance of airports. High-value activities such as banking, business services, communications, biotech, energy and media involve more air travel. Global cities are defined not just by their population and gross domestic product but by the quality and soundness of their infrastructure--including airports.
]]> The Better Airports Alliance, a group made up of business and civic organizations focused on the metro region's airports, is reviewing various options to alleviate congestion and prepare for growth.As part of the alliance's initiative and in consultation with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, the Regional Plan Association is quantifying gains in capacity from a range of possible alternatives and will release a study, along with its recommendations, next month.
Options being evaluated include expanding runway capabilities, diverting some passengers to high-speed intercity rail and utilizing nearby airports, such as Stewart and Islip.
One suggested fix, capping the number of inbound and outbound flights at the three major airports, is short-sighted and will not bring the gains required. But the alliance is pressing for immediate deployment of updated navigation systems, known as NextGen, which are expected to result in significant operational improvements.
Upgrading facilities at JFK, La Guardia and Newark to world-class quality is an undertaking that will most likely require a long-term investment of $5 billion to $10 billion in airport infrastructure and air traffic control.
President Barack Obama has called for a substantial investment, and governments worldwide have recognized the need to enhance airport capacity and build route networks that support international-city development.
New Yorkers need to rise to the occasion and start planning for airport expansion, or--to put it bluntly--we will probably be left on the tarmac.
William Rudin is vice chairman and CEO of Rudin Management Co., and chairman of the Association for a Better New York. Jonathan Tisch is chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels.
Published: December 13, 2010 - Crain's New York Business
]]>A few weeks ago, the Federal Department of Transportation issued a report confirming what many flying in and out of New York region's three major airports already knew - that delays and cancellations pose a major problem for business and leisure travelers alike. With the busiest travel season of the year upon us, chances are this dilemma may be uncomfortably fresh for many of us. Fortunately, an exciting and productive day-long public conference on January 27, led by RPA, will provide an opportunity to discuss ways to reduce flight delays and increase air capacity in the region.
New York's three airports handle about a third of all air traffic in the nation. Is it surprising, then, to hear that three-quarters of nationwide delays are attributable to congestion originating from our region's airspace? This fact is made worse by the fact that, much like traffic congestion, air delays have a multi-billion dollar devastating impact on the local economy in terms of lost wages, fuel and environmental pollution.
]]> The reason for delays is simple: more people are flying than can reasonably be accommodated. This has landed New York with the nasty reputation as the delay capital of the nation and is outright hurting our status as a world class city. To further complicate the equation, as our economy continues to move from manufacturing into higher-value industries such as business services, banking and media, we will rely on more face-to-face interaction and therefore will depend more heavily on our airports to conduct that business.In other words, for New York to survive as an economic epicenter, getting people in and out of our airports efficiently is going to become even more important than it is today. Cutting down on delays is critical but not sufficient; we also need to provide the capacity to attract new business activity and tourism in the region.
It is with this background that RPA will host a major conference this coming January to examine options for a brighter aviation future for the New York region. Upgrading to World Class: The Future of the New York Region's Airports will bring together hundreds of top business, civic, philanthropic, media and government leaders from across the metropolitan region and nation to discuss the roll-out of recommendations emerging from a two-year long collaborative planning and research process led by RPA to determine airport capacity needs and potential gains from a series of actions.
Recommendations will range from better navigations systems, expansion of our three existing airports, greater use of outlying airports, investment in intercity rail to divert air passengers, as well as demand-management actions such as pricing, restrictions by time of day, distance or destinations of flights, or by size of aircraft. Capacity gains from each action will be presented along with the action's cost, impact on the environment, and actors responsible for implementation. The conference will identify the barriers to overcome and include a discussion of strategies for moving forward.
It's time to shake our reputation for worst in class and start planning for best in class. We hope you can join us on January 27th.
]]>See Chris Cain's Presentation
Listen to the audio
Download the Program/Cain Bio
A coalition of business, civic, labor and environmental organizations announced the formal launch of a campaign to restore, maintain and expand the New York Metro region's airports on Tuesday. The "Better Airports Alliance" aims to educate residents on the problem of airport delays, provide fresh solutions to relieve congestion and build a consensus for major improvements.
]]> ------------------------NEWS RELEASE (Download PDF)
For Immediate Release: June 29, 2010
Contact: Neysa Pranger - (917) 532-0567, Cristyne Nicholas - (212) 938-0002
COALITION FORMED TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS
New York, New York- A coalition of business, civic, labor and environmental organizations today announced the formal launch of a campaign to restore, maintain and expand the New York Metro region's airports. The "Better Airports Alliance" aims to educate residents on the problem of airport delays, provide fresh solutions to relieve congestion and build a consensus for major improvements.
As part of this effort, the Regional Plan Association, working alongside experts and stakeholders and in consultation with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will develop a comprehensive planning study on airport congestion. The study, expected to be released publicly this fall, will include recommendations to increase overall airport capacity and efficiency over the next generation.
Members of the coalition, which is still in formation, are listed below.
At present, the state of air travel in the region is grim. JFK, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia rank as the country's most congested airports. Three-quarters of nationwide delays are attributable to delays originating from the New York region's airspace, which handles one-third of the nation's flights. With passenger growth averaging 3% annually, the congestion of our region's airports and airspace will become even more acute in the future.
Air traffic congestion is causing significant damage to the regional economy - to the tune of $2.6 billion each year. According to a report by the Partnership for New York City, without additional action, losses attributable to congestion will total a staggering $79 billion from 2008-2025.
Robert D. Yaro, President of the Regional Plan Association, stated: "As we commend the on-time re-opening JFK's Bay Area Runway, we need to look ahead to the work still to be done to address the airport congestion that negatively impacts our region. The goals of the Better Airports Alliance are simple and straightforward - to increase public awareness, reduce airport congestion and plan for future growth."
"Air traffic congestion in New York area airports is a threat to the City's status as a center of global commerce, said Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City. "It is also a multi-billion dollar drag on the US economy. Nowhere would investment in transportation infrastructure have a bigger or faster payback for the US economy than in relief of congestion at the big international airports serving New York. The Partnership welcomes the opportunity to join with civic and transit advocates as part of the Better Airports Alliance."
The Better Airport Alliance is an investment in New York City's future," said Denise Richardson, Managing Director of the General Contractors Association of New York. From the critical on-time completion of the Bay Runway Construction by GCA Member Tutor Perini to investment and installation of NextGen traffic control technology, addressing New York's airport congestion is a national economic issue. The Better Airports Alliance will be a vital resource in helping to work toward solutions for airport congestion."
Charlie Murphy, Vice President of Pattern for Progress, said that "We look forward to working with the Better Airports Alliance to help solve the region's airport congestion issues, including exploring greater use of peripheral airports such as Stewart International in Newburgh, just north of the City. Stewart is an economic asset for the Hudson Valley and can be for the entire tri-state region as well."
Many members of the Better Airports Alliance are actively pressing the immediate deployment of improved navigation systems, known collectively as NextGen, including the full implementation of airspace management, in the New York region. The current study will consider whether other proposals, such as expansion of the three major area airports, greater use of peripheral airports, demand management actions, and investment in intercity rail, have merit.
Coalition in formation
Members as of Tuesday, June 29, 2010
AAA New Jersey Automobile Club
Accenture
Air Carrier Association of America
Air Transport Association
American Airlines
Atlantic City International Airport
Aviation Development Council
City College of the City University of New York Institute for Urban Systems
City College University of New York Transportation Research Center
Continental Airlines
Corgan Asociations Architects PC
General Contractors Association of NY
Greater Jamaica Development Corporation
Landrum & Brown
Long Island Association
Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce
Newark Regional Business Partnership
New York Building Congress
Partnership for New York City
Pattern for Progress
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA
Regional Plan Association
Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
Vision Long Island
Currently, in bad weather conditions ILS approaches on 13R at Kennedy essentially limit LaGuardia to just one runway. NextGen would remove this conflict by allowing aircraft to use the closer-in curved approach under all weather conditions. ]]>