|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Several Bay Area airports were awarded millions in federal grant funding recently for infrastructure improvement projects, made possible by awards from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration.
California received $168 million for airports across the state, while the cities of Hayward, Monterey, Oakland, Palo Alto, Petaluma, San Carlos, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Tracy will receive a collective $64 million from the FAA for projects to their runways, taxiways, and more.
Palo Alto Airport is set to receive $1.4 million for weather reporting equipment and for installation of a runway visual guidance system, according to the FAA grant announcement.
The agency’s Airport Improvement Program funds airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, airport signage, airport lighting, and airport markings. Airports are entitled to a certain amount of funding each year, based on passenger volume.
California’s senators applauded the appropriated funds announced Sept. 16 for airports in their home state and talked about how important modern infrastructure at transportation hubs were to keep the state running.
“From large international hubs to the hundreds of small regional or local airports, the Golden State’s airports play an essential role in helping millions of Californians and visitors alike get where they need to go,” said U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla in a written statement. “This tranche of more than $168 million in federal aviation funding will modernize our airport infrastructure to create a safer, smoother passenger experience while creating good-paying jobs and investing in low-emission equipment.”
“This federal funding will make a critical investment in California’s airports, improving their safety and modernizing their infrastructure, while creating more jobs in communities across the Golden State,” U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff said in the same statement.
Five of the region’s commercial airports had a collective 73,847,719 passengers transit through their facilities in 2024. While Bay Area air travel is slowly returning to pre-pandemic levels, airport officials are pleased with the announcement of funds that will help prepare their sites for the future.
“Since being established in 1982, (Airport Improvement Program) funding has become an important resource for U.S. airports to enhance safety, security, and sustainability. Airports are critical infrastructure for the region they serve, and AIP funding ensures they are well-maintained and functional,” said San Francisco International Airport spokesman Doug Yakel in an emailed statement.
According to Jon Stout, manager of Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, funds will be used for environmental mitigation efforts, reconstruction projects, and preventative measures.
“These grants are very important for the (airport) as they will allow the continuation of already started projects to move forward,” said Stout.
Monterey’s airport was the largest single recipient in California, and its funding will be used to construct a new passenger terminal.
Besides commercial airports, Petaluma’s small recreational airport is also receiving funds to upgrade their facilities. The airport’s manager, Dan Cohen, said the funding is vital to maintain their infrastructure to FAA specifications.
“By taking some of the long-term infrastructure costs, the FAA frees up many federally obligated small airports to cover their annual operating expenses with hangar rents, aircraft fees, and not become a tax burden on local residents,” said Cohen. “The airport staff are very grateful to our federal aviation partnerships and are excited to put 100% of the allocated funds towards our shovel ready Taxiway and Taxilane projects.”
Editor Gennady Sheyner contributed to this story.
To those that don’t like these airports you can now not waste any more of your time trying to close them. They’ve accepted federal funds meaning the FAA will not allow these airports to be closed.
Does this extra money, especially to the Palo Alto Airport, mean more airport usage? Does EPA, and the surrounding areas need to be concerned about emergency operations there in a disaster? Are they ready? I think not.
Rob:
having these airports available in a disaster is one of the reasons they are there and the FAA continues to fund them. The surrounding communities may not be “prepared” for emergency operations, but the airports are.
Menlo Voter. No they’re not. The FAA does not own the PA Airport, PA does…
Rob:
I know who owns the PA airport. Once they accept funds from the FAA, they cannot be closed and the FAA has regulations that the PA airport has to abide by. How is the PA airport not prepared for disasters? Please enlighten me.
Menlo Voter:
PAFD has no water rescue unit. A huge factor, must depend on auto aid or mutual aid. Ask East Palo Alto about their concerns. Something for all of us to think about?
Rob:
So what you did is just ignore what I said. PA Airport is prepared for disaster. The surrounding communities may not be. Based on your comment regarding lack of water rescue unit in PAFD it sounds like they are not prepared for a disaster. In case you weren’t aware, PAFD isn’t the PA airport. It seems to me that almost all of the fire departments in this area rely on mutual aid to one degree or another, so I’m not sure what your point is in that regard.
Menlo Voter:
Many of us are attempting to fix it, so PAFD and many other public safety agencies that surround the airport are prepared.