TagGround Operations(9)

The Port of Seattle issued a March 2023 notice requiring all ground transportation operators at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to sign and submit renewed operating agreements by April 28, 2023. Operators can submit agreements by email, mail, or in person at the Ground Transportation Office on the third floor of the airport parking garage. Required documents vary by operator type—such as airporters, charter buses, crew vans, and limousines—but generally include a signed agreement, proof of insurance, vehicle registrations, and a company information form.

This document presents findings from a Sea-Tac Airport Ground Noise Study, shared at the Highline Forum on November 20, 2019. It explains how aircraft ground noise travels and changes with distance, noting that sound levels drop by 6 dB every time the distance doubles and are further reduced by atmospheric absorption and soft ground surfaces. The study also covers how temperature gradients affect noise, with sound bending upward in normal conditions and downward during temperature inversions, potentially increasing noise impacts on nearby communities.

These emails, dated October–November 2019, relate to a study of ground-level noise at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport initiated by the StART Aviation Noise Working Group. Noise consultant Brad Nicholas of HMMH sought input from surrounding cities, including Burien (which had suspended its StART membership), on which noise sources to analyze and where to place monitoring equipment. Community advocate Sharyn Parker responded with detailed recommendations, arguing the consultant should first correlate existing noise complaints and monitor records with engine run-up events before soliciting public input, and identifying engine run-ups and reverse thrust as the two primary sources of airfield ground noise.

This 2019 Aviation Committee document outlines Sea-Tac Airport's Ground Transportation Framework, detailing the guiding principles, goals, and strategies for managing how passengers and vehicles move through the airport. Key goals include reducing environmental impact (50% scope 3 emissions reduction), cutting private vehicle pick-up and drop-off to 30% of trips, and achieving a 15-minute tower-to-curb travel time. Strategies span infrastructure planning (SAMP), access policy (GTAP), day-to-day operations, and taxi/TNC contracts, with Port policies providing overarching guidance across all areas.

This document is the Sea-Tac International Airport Tariff No. 1, originally issued by the Port of Seattle Commission in 1980 and effective January 1, 1981, with subsequent revisions through 2018. It outlines the rates and charges for use of airport facilities and services, covering areas such as landing fees, airline charges, parking, ground transportation, utilities, security, and various violation fines. The tariff serves as the official schedule of fees governing commercial and operational activities at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

This 2018 Port of Seattle briefing outlines near-term traffic mitigation strategies for Sea-Tac Airport's increasingly congested roadway system, which was originally designed for 5 million annual passengers but now handles far greater volumes. Key measures include a Traffic Mitigation Plan that restricts access to southbound airport freeways during peak periods, and a new TNC 'Re-Match' program that allows rideshare drivers who have just dropped off passengers to immediately pick up new ones without returning to the remote 160th Street holding lot. The Re-Match pilot reduced passenger wait times by one-third and eliminated an estimated 30,000 deadheading trips in December 2017, while also reducing expressway congestion near the terminal.