San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has reached a new 10-year agreement with its airline partners enabling it to contribute more than US$500m to help alleviate traffic congestion at San Diego International Airport, California.
The airport authority is currently working with its regional partners, including the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the City of San Diego, Port of San Diego, the military, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), Caltrans and North County Transit District (NCTD) on potential transportation and transit connection improvements to the airport. The agreement with the airlines will help provide key funding for those projects, if approved.
“This agreement ensures that the Airport Authority will have the means to effectively partner with other regional agencies to improve access to the airport through transportation and transit projects,” said April Boling, Airport Authority board chairman. “It also supports the Airport Development Plan, which envisions the replacement of Terminal 1 and related improvements.”
While the specific improvements are being studied and not yet approved, the agreement ensures there will be substantial funding for those improvements should the Airport Authority and partner agencies decide to go forward with them.
The contribution includes US$350m for on- and potential off-airport public transportation projects in conjunction with regional partner agencies; a new airport transit station that could connect to the regional system; and US$165m for multimodal mobility corridor improvements, which might include an inbound, on-airport access roadway and a bicycle path.
If approved, the roadway would connect Laurel Street directly to the airport, with no traffic lights. This would remove an estimated 45,000 cars per day from Harbor Drive.
“The airport and the airlines provide significant economic impact for the region, and this is just the latest example of that commitment,” said Kim Becker, Airport Authority president and CEO.
“I sincerely appreciate the airlines’ willingness to participate in this agreement and pre-approve a significant investment in transportation and transit infrastructure.”