Public hearings are March 8 and March 9
EVERETT — A state airports committee is suggesting to either greatly grow services at Everett’s Paine Field in tandem with growth at Sea-Tac Airport or to construct a brand-new airport in either Pierce or Thurston counties.
The committee has information at engage.wsdot.wa.gov/cacc/ and is taking public comments there until Wednesday, March 22.
There will also be two public hearings on Zoom online.
One will be noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 8. A shortlink to register is www.tinyurl.com/AirportMarch8
The other will be 5:15 – 6:15 p.m., Thursday, March 9. A shortlink to register is www.tinyurl.com/AirportMarch9
The committee has recommended increasing Paine Field and to continue pursuing a new airport in either Pierce or Thurston counties.
Pierce and Thurston counties have lodged loud opposition. The Pierce County Council voted to declare it doesn’t want a big airport built at two suggested places, one by Puyallup and one east of Yelm.Paine Field could be the top option, but it wouldn’t be able to meet all of the capacity needs expected, the coordinating committee says.
While Paine and Sea-Tac already have some growth plans, airport demand studies say the state’s airport system needs to grow faster to avoid reaching capacity soon and to accommodate air cargo and commercial service needs predicted for 2050. There were 24 million airline passenger boardings in 2018, and there could be double that number by 2050, the committee says.
The committee is called the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission and is run by WSDOT. The public can send questions or comments to CACC@wsdot.wa.gov
This committee will provide its final recommendation to legislators by June 15.
Past coverage:
EVERETT — A state airports committee is suggesting to either greatly grow services at Everett’s Paine Field in tandem with growth at Sea-Tac Airport or to construct a brand-new airport in either Pierce or Thurston counties. They’re working on deciding which option to put forward to state legislators next year.
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