December 21, 2020 9 pp.

Airfield Simulation Modeling History and Summary: Sustainable Airport Master Plan, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Notes

LeighFisher memorandum summarizing airfield simulation modeling conducted for the Port Of Seattle Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) and follow-on NEPA review at Sea-Tac Airport. Covers TAAM (Total Airport and Airspace Modeller) model development from 2015 through mid-2017, including initial calibration to 2014 activity, FAA-requested recalibration to 2016 activity, maximum sustainable throughput experiments, and revised future-year PAL 2 (2024), PAL 3 (2029), and PAL 4 (2034) modeling. Details five operating scenarios (South VMC, South MMC, South IMC, North VMC, North IMC), runway use assumptions for runways 16C, 16L, 16R, 34R, 34L, Low/Medium/High operational efficiency improvements, and A/B runway use pattern variants — totaling 90 individual TAAM models. Average aircraft delays without mitigation projected to exceed 20 minutes by PAL 4 (~2034).

Sidebar On/Off

As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

continue...

V V

Notes

Message