SCAG report touts regional airports' use

The future economic impact of making use of regional airports - such as Palmdale, Ontario and El Toro - instead of expanding LAX is not significant enough to be a consideration in the debate, according to the analysis.

That puts a hole in the theory that expansion of LAX is the most economically feasible solution to the region's growing demand on air transportation.

The Southern California Aviation Industry Impact Analysis, commissioned by the Southern California Association of Governments, compares various scenarios in planning for the region's air transportation needs for the next 20 years.

SCAG is a planning organization comprising six counties, including Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the nation.

SCAG statistics show the region's air traffic demands growing to 157 million air passengers and 8.9 million tons of air cargo annually by the year 2020. This represents a 92% passenger increase and a 242% boost in cargo from 1998.

In one scenario, the report states it would cost $11.2 billion more to use outlying airports than to expand LAX.

That $11.2 billion is insignificant on a grand scale, the report states, considering that by the year 2020, the regional economy will generate $1.7 trillion - or one-half of 1% of the regional economy 20 years from now.

"Given the relatively small differences in overall economic impacts, it would seem likely that the planning decisions among the alternative regional aviation development scenarios may be more strategically related to environmental and transportation congestion impacts (air and ground) rather than the future economic impacts," the report concludes.

This was news to critics of the proposed $12 billion LAX expansion project being pushed by Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.

One of the most vocal, and influential, critics of LAX expansion plans is Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter. Galanter also favors bringing Palmdale Airport back online.

"SCAG's consultants have reached the same conclusion I have," Galanter said in a statement issued by her office. "Because the economic benefits to Southern California are pretty much the same no matter where in the region airport demand is met, our decisions about whether LAX should be expanded or whether air traffic should be diverted elsewhere in the region should be based on" environmental and transportation concerns rather than economic concerns.

SCAG officials argue against using the report in any ongoing debates on airport expansion, saying it's premature to analyze the report until other related reports are completed.

"I am concerned and troubled that a draft economic impact analysis commissioned by SCAG was inappropriately and prematurely released to the news media and reported upon by several newspapers," Mark Pizano, executive director of SCAG, said in a statement. "This analysis was conducted for SCAG as part of a much larger, comprehensive regional aviation analysis intended to help provide policy direction regarding the regional accommodation and management of future airport passenger and cargo demand."

The analysis is part of a comprehensive effort to plan for how the region can best accommodate future regional airport demand, he added.

"The economic impact analysis in question was never intended to be a stand-alone study; rather, it is to be considered in conjunction with each of these other analyses as part of a comprehensive effort to provide planning and policy direction for determining how best to accommodate future regional aviation demand," the statement continued.

Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford, a proponent of expansion of the airport here, said: "I don't think (the report) changes what Palmdale's position is."

Instead of opposing expansion of LAX, as Palmdale officials once had, Ledford said the city is staying out of the rift in L.A. and concentrating on developing the airport here.

But Ledford said he would support bringing more air traffic into regional airports like Palmdale's.

"We're working to prepare our airport to handle a regional approach," Ledford said. "We've already recognized that the regional approach is critical."

The city has landscaped the airport's parking lot and remodeled the terminal, Ledford said.

The city also has the OK from the Air Force to purchase a cargo ramp. The airport has a joint operating agreement with the Air Force. The cargo ramp would allow the Palmdale Airport to become a viable cargo terminal, Ledford said.

The city is attempting to get a construction permit by January 2001, Ledford added.

The city has already received $500,000 from the Federal Department of Transportation toward the purchase of the ramp, estimated to cost $2.7 million.

The city is asking Los Angeles World Airports, the association that's pushing for expansion of LAX, for the remaining $2.2 million to purchase the ramp.

"We're working with LAWA to position Plant 42 to be a regional airport," Ledford said.