A symposium called “Who Does What in the Duwamish” was held Feb. 9 at the South Seattle Community College, Georgetown Campus. Moderator, Port of Seattle Commissioner Gael Tarleton introduced 10 speakers including Seattle Department of Transportation’s new director, Peter Hahn, Sound Transit Chief Executive Officer Joni Earl, King County Metro General manger, Kevin Desmond, and Federal Aviation Administration Northwest Deputy Regional Administrator, David Suomi.

Earl said that Sound Transit’s light rail now gets16,000 riders a day.

“We will be receiving about 27 more light rail vehicles later this year,” she said. “We have about 35 now, and need the additional vehicles for our Capital Hill, and University of Washington three-mile extension. Earl commented on some criticism by commuters who exit the light rail at the Sea-Tac stop with their baggage and have to walk just over a thousand feet to their terminal.

“We get a little bit of pushback on that,” she said. and asked who in the room has commuted by light rail to Sea-Tac. About 15 hands went up.

“Were you exhausted from that four-minute walk?” she asked them with a trace of humor in her voice. “We get a little bit of heat about that but it’s working very well.”

Tarleton introduce Hahn pointing out it was his first public appearance as SDOT director.

“The amount of activity in this area needs an incredible amount of coordination,” said Hahn. I have SODO outreach coordinator here, Paul Elliott. We have to dedicate full time staff to this.

Any number of us here have had long term working relationships, and we take the responsibility of serving businesses, the pedestrian and bike community, citizens, and freight community very seriously.”

A PowerPoint image was projected showing a young father toting his baby in a carrier while caught in the middle of a busy intersection just southeast of the West Seattle Bridge in an industrial area. He appeared boxed in by 18-wheelers. The purpose of the image was to illustrate problems when pedestrians compete with commercial traffic on busy roads and intersections. One speaker suggested “people drive more like the ‘wild west’ in that neighborhood compared to Phinney Ridge and other residential neighborhoods in North Seattle.

The FAA’s Suomi brought up the issue of Sea-Tac Airport noise abatement.

“A lot of what we do you don’t see. Unfortunately, you hear it,” he said. “We feel that through our efforts we do offer benefit. We give local grants to area airports like Sea-Tac’s billion dollar repaved runway. We’re kicking off the next ‘Part 150 (Noise Compatibility) Study’ and doing everything we can to address noise impact. We have a commitment to the region.”

According to the Port of Seattle website page on Part 150, “Noise incompatibilities are defined as residences or public use noise-sensitive facilities (libraries, churches, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals) within the 65 Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL) noise contour (…) Specific goals for this Part 150 Study include the following-To address noise issues related to the third runway; to conduct the process in an open and engaging way; an to look for opportunities that have not been thought of versus re-visiting old issues.’
The “old issue” of the third runway noise has been prickly as South Park, Burien, and other residents have complained in community meetings that jet traffic and its accompanying loud roar have increased, especially nights, over their homes once the runway was completed. They argue the Port of Seattle and FAA promised that the third runway’s only purpose was to be a relief valve for the other two during foggy winter weather.

Not true, according to Stan Shepherd, manager, Airport Noise Programs, Port of Seattle He told the West Seattle Herald, “The Environmental Impact Report clearly stated in advance that 27- percent of incoming planes to Sea-Tac would land on the third runway.
Shepherd is correct. In Volume One, Chapter 2 of the Final Environmental Impact Statement dated May 1997 that was public record, a chart states “assumptions (estimates as of May of ’97) for 2010 to be 27.7 percent of south traffic flow into the third runway of all three runways. In fact, “Actuals to date” put it at 23.6 percent, and all departures at under one percent.

Still, South Park residents are indeed hearing an increase of plane noise.

“The third runway does not increase air traffic over Seattle,” said Shepherd. “Planes are flying a thousand feet toward the side of the airport that lines up with the third runway.”

That one thousand foot shift places air traffic smack dab over South Park for the first time, according to a Sea-Tac official.
Tay Yoshitani, Port of Seattle CEO, was guest speaker at the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Salty’s Wednesday, Feb. 10. After his speech he told the West Seattle Herald, “With any project like that there is an Environmental Impact Report (EIP). The third runway had a very extensive EIR process. In the report there was some definition as to its usage.

“In the final analysis that final operation is controlled by the FAA, which is in charge of control tower activities. As a port we recognize concerns by the communities and we’ve advocated on their behalf. We have managed to work with the FAA in a way to try to minimize noise. We’re in the process of kicking off Part 150, a well-defined process, Part 150. We use that as a basis.”