A sustainable future for everyone under the flight path.
We know where you want to go. But read our motto. After eight years building the largest historical library of any major airport community in America, we’ve learned two things:
- Major improvements are possible.
- You are being constantly distracted from making them.
Here are the five guiding strategies we’ve learned can improve life for every community under the flight path.
Local Politics
Local. Local. Local! Our focus is on local government because many of the things people want can be done most effectively here and now! Federal solutions are important, but many are decades away–which is precisely why so many people support them. Often these are meant to distract you from taking constructive action.
But not too local. What has prevented positive change has been each city working competitively, rather than cooperating towards a common good!
Most of the best solutions, those which can eventually become national, should start here and now. Instead of thinking top down, we need to start creating model programs here to use to obtain Federal changes. In America today, most national legislation starts at the local or state level!
Our job is to get electeds near you to work together, and stop talking about false “benefits”, things which are actually hurting our communities. Show them what is possible, and get those things done. Now. Learn more
Research
Ultimately, every long term solution rests on research, because research is what leads to regulation. But, you cannot regulate what you do not measure properly. The research standard to get to regulation in the USA is very high. That is why, we almost never fund more than short term studies. These will never be sufficient to lead to regulation. Another distraction!
What we need is comprehensive, ongoing, neighborhood-level monitoring and studies of all the negative impacts of the airport. This is the key to changing flight paths, mitigating harms, and improving your community! Learn more!
Compensation
We need revenue sharing and impact fees; not grants! The airport creates billions of dollars in annual revenue for stakeholders throughout America. But despite what anyone tells you, it does not trickle down into your community.
On the contrary, the airport sends millions of dollars in negative impacts every year to every community under the flight path, and in return provides only small, one-off community grants–using our property taxes! More distractions!
In 1976, both the FAA and the Port of Seattle said, “As we do better. You’ll do better.” We need to hold them to that promise, with structural payments keyed to airport growth. Because your city needs money to do everything else–including properly advocating for your community! Learn More
Mitigation
Despite the increasing noise, emissions and community harms, the Port has provided no new opportunities for sound insulation or protection from air pollution since 1996! Sound insulation and air filtration should be in every home and every building code. Learn more
Instead, the Port of Seattle has removed hundreds of homes, tens of thousands of trees and hundreds of acres of habitat for animals. Cities never have the resources to effectively mitigate those losses. The Port should be tasked to provide direct professional, ongoing management for all the environmental and community impacts of all affected lands under the flight path.
Flight Reduction
There is no way to talk about improving our communities without limiting the total number of operations at Sea-Tac. Ironically, this is the one decision concerning flight operations that is within local control!
But you can never hope to change flight paths while actively encouraging more people to fly every year, not to mention that doing so makes it impossible to meaningfully address climate change.
Sea-Tac Airport does not simply “respond to demand” for new passengers and cargo. That is a myth. It actively promotes more operations, encouraging more airlines to use the airport, and having the largest tourism budget in the State.
Various stakeholders talk about ‘sustainable aviation fuels, ‘second airports’ and ‘electric planes’. These are also myths meant to encourage more airplanes flying over your neighborhood! Even more distractions!
We need the Port to simply respond to demand, not create more! Prevent the Port from using the Tax Levy to build more capacity. Eliminate airline and tourism subsidies. Aggressively promote family-friendly policies like remote work. Learn more
Real and lasting progress is possible. If you read more than a few pages here you’ll see references to the Sea-Tac Communities Plan of 1976. All our core principles are based on their work, because fifty years ago, they nailed it. Unfortunately, we all failed to hold onto and build on their impressive gains. And fifty years ago is an eternity in local politics.
Our challenge is to acknowledge their work, finish what they began, and this time, not let go.We can do this!