Public Opinion Survey: Sea-Tac Communities Plan Factsheet No. 11

A 1973 public opinion survey commissioned by the Port of Seattle and King County found that nearly one in five Highline-area residents considered airplane noise from Sea-Tac Airport their community's single most serious problem, with concern rising sharply among those living in the highest-noise zones. Highline residents were more likely to want to move than those in quieter comparison areas, though the survey also found that the Port of Seattle was viewed favorably by a strong majority across all groups surveyed.

Notes

Factsheet No. 11 from the Sea-Tac Communities Plan (STCP), summarizing a 1973 public opinion survey conducted by Battelle Memorial Institute for the Port of Seattle and King County. The survey assessed social impacts of Sea-Tac Airport on surrounding communities via face-to-face interviews with 302 Highline area residents and 98 Shoreline residents, plus 316 telephone interviews across King County. Key findings cover community noise complaints (19.7% of Highline residents cited noise as the single most serious problem vs. 1.1% in Shoreline), desirability of relocation (60.9% of Highline vs. 47.7% Shoreline residents would move), effects of noise on health and sleep, public image of the Port of Seattle, and King County services awareness. Results are broken down by High Noise Zone (HNZ, NEF 35+), Medium Noise Zone (MNZ, NEF 25-35), and Low Noise Zone (LNZ, NEF 24 or less) using 1973 Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) curves.

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