By Reid H. Shockey
Since 1983 the Snohomish County Committee for Improved Transportation has brought together public and private partners in a non-partisan effort to promote the efficient movement of people and freight in a manner that keeps pace with our region’s inevitable growth.
We can’t build more freeways but we can improve mobility throughout the region through smart use of our transportation systems — roads, rail, ship and air.
After several decades of study and debate, two major transportation improvements are on their way to Snohomish County. First, the next phases of Sound Transit will see light rail coming to Lynnwood in 2023 on its way north past Paine Field and into Everett Station by 2036. As a complement to ST Express, Sounder rail and our excellent Community Transit system with its Swift bus rapid transit, passengers will see smoother rides to Seattle and the Eastside, even as our population, jobs and traffic soar over the next 20 years and beyond.
The second major event — happening much sooner — is the opening of commercial air service to Paine Field. It starts Monday with groundbreaking for a two-gate terminal and culminates in 2018 with the first scheduled flights to be offered by Alaska Airlines. We don’t know the exact routes yet, but the million or so residents here in the Northlands will no doubt see their commute to the airport, their TSA lines and their parking costs cut in half or better along several preferred destinations. Our business partners will have convenient direct flights to clients at our aerospace center, Naval Station Everett, downtown and the rest of Snohomish County.
We acknowledge those who have opposed commercial air service over the past several years, but hope they are now prepared to move forward with the rest of the community. The addition of nine daily commercial departures to the other daily flight operations simply will not diminish anyone’s quality of life. In fact, according to FAA data, overall flight operations at Paine Field have decreased by more than 20 percent since 2008 and are expected to decrease further. This remains true even considering the service proposed by Alaska Airlines and even if the commercial terminal eventually operates to its full capacity.
Extensive environmental review over the past many years proves there will be no significant impacts. No fewer than three court decisions have upheld these reviews. As the state and federal courts have noted, the decision processes were conducted properly, the analyses by state and federal agencies were correct, potential impacts are being addressed, and the public has been involved. Continuous challenges to these issues, which have been decided in favor of commercial service, serve little or no purpose. We expect that any additional challenges will see similar outcomes.
Commercial air service in a growing and progressive Snohomish County is a logical fit. SCCIT joins with a majority of citizens in welcoming Alaska Airlines to Paine Field.
Reid H. Shockey is president of the Snohomish County Committee for Improved Transportation.
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