Runner wants state as ally in regional airport battle

For help, the Lancaster Republican is turning to two unlikely accomplices: Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa and Caltrans.

Runner's ploy is anything but a straightforward approach.

Runner could choose a direct attack. He could write legislation calling for a halt to the expansion of the Los Angeles International Airport - an action that, if successful, would invariably cause other outlying airports, such as the one in Palmdale, to expand.

Instead, Runner is planning a more subtle approach, which he believes will point all compass needles in the obvious direction, north to Palmdale.

Runner on Thursday asked Villaraigosa, D-Los Angeles, to establish an Assembly select committee on California's airports.

Such a committee, Runner said, would study the growth of the state's airports, weighing the feasibility of expanding big-city airports - such as Los Angeles International - vs. establishing regional airports, such as one in Palmdale.

The airport closed more than 18 months ago when the last commercial airline, United Express, abandoned flights to LAX.

Runner said he's confident if a committee is established, its findings would recommend that the state make efforts to funnel air traffic flow into outer-region airports, such as Palmdale's in northern Los Angeles County - where the majority of growth in Southern California is expected to occur in the next 20 years.

Runner said once the airport committee issues its findings, legislation could be introduced to foster the process. At that point, he said, such legislation could easily gain bipartisan support.

Several citizen, including Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, oppose expansion of LAX and support feeding passenger traffic into Palmdale instead.

Assemblyman Scott Wildman, D-Burbank, is also interested in examining the alternatives to expanding Burbank's already overcrowded airport. He's sided with Runner in the request to establish an airport committee.

Both men have also expressed interest in serving on the committee.

"There just needs to be an overall plan when it comes to air transportation and cargo," Runner said. "How many people can you put down the 405 Freeway? "We just need an objective review and a strategic plan done."

Runner said he hopes to hear whether an airport committee will be established by sometime next week.

To hedge his bets, Runner also met with new Caltrans Director Jose Medina to discuss coordinating Caltrans road construction efforts to support vehicle traffic in and out of airports in the future.

Caltrans is the agency that has jurisdiction over airports.

"If indeed LAX is expanded, Caltrans is going to have to be dealing with all the freeway access and use," Runner said. "In their overall planning of airports, it make sense for them to be involved."

Getting Caltrans involved will also show the advantages of moving away from having larger airports, Runner said.

"To me that's a whole lot better plan than expanding LAX," Runner said. "I think (regional airports) can be developed for less money and also make it convenient for passengers."

Southern California Association of Governments predicts that Southern California's population will jump by 43%, or 22.35 million people, by the year 2020, creating insurmountable traffic pressures on airports in Los Angeles and other metropolitan centers.

Northern Los Angeles County's population is expected to shoot up 169% by that same year.

Mark Pisano, SCAG's director, said that by 2020, the Palmdale Regional Airport could easily serve 5 million or more passengers per year if plans for a high-speed train linking the Antelope Valley with Los Angeles materialize.

But current SCAG projections, which allow for expanding LAX, show Palmdale's air traffic growing to only 300,000 passengers per year - a fraction of growth projected for every other commercial airport in Southern California.