May 30, 2002

HARMAN ORGANIZES REGIONAL LAWMAKERS IN
URGING PASSENGER CAP AT LAX

- "Both air and surface traffic congestion throughout the LAX community pose significant safety and quality of life concerns that will only be exacerbated if air traffic continues to grow." -

WASHINGTON D.C. - Led by Rep. Harman, a dozen members of Southern California's congressional delegation endorsed a cap on the number of passengers at Los Angeles International Airport in an effort to ensure the safety and quality of life of the surrounding residential areas and build airport capacity elsewhere in the region.

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, the lawmakers said the annual number of passengers at LAX should not exceed 78 million, about 10 million more than current levels. The cap, they argued, is essential to foster growth at some of the region's other airports. By the year 2020, experts estimate that regional demand for air transportation will grow to an estimated 150 million passengers and more than 8 million tons of cargo.

"We oppose further expansion at Los Angeles International Airport and believe that traffic must not increase beyond 78 million annual passengers," the lawmakers said in their letter.

"Currently, both air and surface traffic congestion throughout the LAX community pose significant safety and quality of life concerns that will only be exacerbated if air traffic continues to grow."

"Meeting future demand," the Members told Mineta, "requires that the benefits and burdens of air travel be fairly allocated across the region through a process that builds consensus. "We firmly believe in the concept of airports for communities that want airports. To that end, we support a regional plan that encourages, gives priority to and plans for increases in operations at airports with underutilized capacity in communities that welcome the economic benefits of airport expansion and increased passenger and cargo activity. "Conversely, we recognize that planning decisions should acknowledge that some communities have serious concerns about the impact airports and air traffic have on quality of loge as well as air and ground transportation safety."

The Members suggested to Mineta that expansion should be promoted at airports like Ontario, Palmdale, Victorville and others in the Inland Empire and High Desert where communities are anxious to expand their airports.

Joining Harman in the letter were Reps. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands), Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-Carson), Gary Miller (R-Diamond Bar), Grace Napolitano (D-Norwalk), Joe Baca (D-Rialto), Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles), and Adam Schiff (D-Burbank).

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Related Link:

Focus on LAX: a summary of Congresswoman Harman's efforts to promote a regional airport development plan

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