TagPuget Sound Council of Governments(6)

In 1991, the Puget Sound Air Transportation Committee (PSATC) gathered public input on long-term air capacity solutions for the Seattle region, with over 1,200 people participating through meetings and written comments. Key public concerns included opposition to expanding Sea-Tac Airport, worries about noise and air pollution impacts on nearby residents, and support for high-speed rail alternatives. The committee identified several potentially feasible options—including multiple airport systems and a new international airport to replace Sea-Tac—while ruling out others, such as a distant remote airport and high-speed rail alone, as insufficient stand-alone solutions.

In April 1989, the Port of Seattle Commission passed Resolution No. 3042 authorizing the Executive Director to enter into an agreement with the Puget Sound Council of Governments (PSCOG) to develop a long-term regional air carrier system plan for the Puget Sound area. The resolution was prompted by a recognized need for additional air carrier capacity beyond the year 2000, following a 1988 Airspace Study Update of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The agreement allowed the Port to seek federal FAA funding and hire consultants to study long-term aviation capacity options for the region.

A public hearing was held on February 24, 1988, at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Seattle to gather community input on a proposed Airport System Amendment to the Regional Transportation Plan. The evening agenda included introductions by King County Councilmember Greg Nickels, a slide presentation on the proposed Regional Airport System Plan by PSCOG staff member Don Secrist, and an open public comment period. The event reflects early regional planning discussions around airport development and transportation policy in the greater Seattle area.

This 1987 Draft Environmental Impact Statement from the Puget Sound Council of Governments evaluates alternatives for expanding and managing the regional airport system through the year 2020, assessing their potential environmental and economic impacts. The study found that all alternatives would generate significant impacts to both natural and human environments, with the key difference being whether those impacts would be concentrated at existing airports or spread across new locations. Extensive mitigation measures were identified as necessary for any chosen alternative, and no single option was found to be clearly superior to the others.

The Regional Airport System Plan, published in June 1982 by the Puget Sound Council of Governments (PSCOG), provides policy guidance for aviation planning across the greater Puget Sound region, including the Seattle-Tacoma area. Prepared with funding from member jurisdictions, the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Port of Seattle, the plan addresses regional airport system needs and aviation forecasts. It was developed under the oversight of PSCOG's Standing Committee on Transportation, which included representatives from King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties.