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Ashlynn Doyle
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6 Executive Summary This document contains the Master Plan for T. F. Green Airport. The goal of a master plan is to provide a framework of potential future airport development in a financially feasible manner, as warranted by aviation demand, while at the same time considering the aviation, environmental, and socioeconomic issues existing in a community. Master plan updates are prepared to update aviation forecasts and to make infrastructure recommendations based on recent trends in airport activity, air service market conditions, and other factors. Updates take place at regular intervals to ensure that an airport s development plan will adequately accommodate changes in airport activity levels. A master plan is just that, a plan, which means that projects will only be implemented as warranted by actual activity. Also, the projects in the plan are contingent upon further environmental study and must be financially feasible. The T. F. Green Master Plan was started in September of 2000 and, after a September 11, 2001 related delay, resulted in a 20-year recommended development plan. The planning process and the major findings are described here, in addition to the next steps that will be necessary for the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) to implement the plan. ES.1 Master Planning Process The Master Plan for T. F. Green Airport followed the typical steps of any planning effort (collecting data, forecasting demand, determining facility needs, analyzing development concepts, and developing drawings and schedules). These steps are described in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular 150/5070-6A, Airport Master Plans. This Master Plan went beyond a typical airport master plan with the projections of constrained demand and the public involvement process. The Master Plan began in the fall of 2000 with a series of vision workshops with the public, the RIAC Board, airport tenants/users, regional transportation planners, the business community, regional airports, the city of Warwick, and RIAC staff. Participants were asked to identify T. F. Green s opportunities and constraints as well as its strengths and weaknesses (see Appendix G for summaries of the visioning sessions). These visioning sessions helped RIAC define the scope and goals of the Master Plan, including the public participation process. A Study Resource Committee (SRC) was formed at the beginning of the Master Plan study to provide input to RIAC and its consultants on the development of the 20-year plan. The members of the SRC represented a wide range of stakeholders including citizens, local and state planning and regulatory agencies, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, the Warwick Station Redevelopment Agency, the Department of Transportation (DOT), the FAA, Concerned Airport Neighbors (CAN), Rhode Island Pilots Association, Air Transport Association (ATA), commercial airlines, cargo carriers, airport tenants, and airport staff. Executive Summary ES-1 December 2002

7 The SRC met 10 times over a 14-month period. The meetings were open to the public and allowed for public comment. Appendix H contains the agendas and meeting summaries for each of the meetings. More information on the SRC process and the meeting materials is located on the Master Plan website ( which can also be reached from RIAC s website ( The SRC received and was briefed on all study assumptions, results, and recommendations. Because the SRC consisted of a very diverse membership, there was rarely, if ever, consensus agreement among members. However, comments from SRC members were considered by RIAC. In fact, the opposition to expansion by many of the citizen members helped RIAC make the decision to scale back the 20-year development plan to meet only the near-term needs. The technical aspects of the Master Plan began with an inventory of existing conditions (see Exhibit ES.1-1). The next step involved forecasting aviation demand. Extensive forecasts of potential future aviation demands were prepared, including several forecast scenarios: The Existing Role Scenario projected a continuation of the airport s existing role in the region. Low, most-likely (medium), and high growth Existing Role forecasts were considered. Given the depth of public opposition to any growth in aviation activity, the forecast analysis considered growth-limiting options. Capacity-Constrained Scenarios included regulatory limits on growth, frozen or reduced airport facilities, and partial facility development. The analysis then prepared likely activity levels for each scenario and provided the RIAC Board with the full range of perceived and actual policy and development options. This analysis found that most demand would likely materialize even with constraints in place, but that congestion and delays would increase. The Augmented Market Share Scenario considered what would happen if T. F. Green were to capture a larger share of the region s traffic. The most likely (medium) forecast was used as the basis for this planning effort and the FAA approved the forecast in April of 2002 (see Attachment 1). In spite of the reduced traffic witnessed after the attacks of September 11, 2001, annual passenger demand at T. F. Green is expected to approximately double in 20 years, from 5.4 million in 2000 to 11.0 million in Annual aircraft operations are projected to grow at a slower rate (from 155,500 to 230,200), as larger aircraft continue to replace older, smaller aircraft. Using FAA and industry-accepted standards, the projected future aviation demand was translated into the need for future facilities. This analysis identified a need for a 9,500-foot main air carrier runway, a new parallel runway, more than double the amount of terminal space, expansion of the terminal roadways and parking facilities, and expansion/relocation of various support facilities in the 20-year planning period if demand materializes as expected. Executive Summary ES-2 December 2002

8 ES.2 Plan Pursued By RIAC Initially, over 30 airfield concepts were considered that fully or partially respond to the identified facility needs. RIAC first narrowed the range of alternatives by eliminating options that required major off-airport development. It was clear that given the airport s urban location, there was no way to provide the required new parallel runway and a main runway extension of 9,500 feet without major impacts on the neighboring communities. RIAC therefore made a policy decision to keep the main runway on airport property, accepting that the 2,000-foot shortfall in runway length needed by 2020 would likely discourage nonstop west coast service. Three airfield concepts met RIAC s desire to extend but keep Runway 5R-23L on airport property and provide the needed length on the crosswind runway (see Exhibit ES.2-1, Exhibit ES.2-2 and Exhibit ES.2-3). Because the detailed community and environmental assessment will take place in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the RIAC Board has decided to let the EIS process determine which alternative provides the best way to achieve the identified needs. As a result, this Master Plan document does not include a future Airport Layout Plan (ALP) or the other drawings that are typically included in a complete and final airport plans set. Once an EIS alternative is selected, the plans set will be developed and provided to the FAA for approval. This plan also recommends infrastructure improvements including terminal expansion, roadway improvements, and additional auto parking areas. Support facility improvements include the relocation of the belly cargo and ground service equipment (GSE) storage and maintenance facilities to accommodate terminal expansion, relocation/expansion of the integrated cargo carriers at the Aeroland site, relocation/expansion of the airport maintenance facility on airport property, and expansion of the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) facility and fuel farm. In addition to typical master plan infrastructure improvements, this Master Plan also recommends that RIAC work with the city of Warwick to purchase neighboring houses, outside the current acquisition program, as funds become available, in order to provide buffer zones for noise. To the extent possible, the Master Plan also recommends that RIAC extend existing visual/ground noise barriers or provide new visual/ground noise barriers, where needed in order to reduce noise levels for close-in neighbors. The Master Plan scope addressed the airport and did not focus on improvements to off-airport roads such as Airport Road and Post Road. Most of the traffic on these roads is not airport-based and RIAC has little control over improvements on these roadways. However, RIAC will work with the city of Warwick to provide solutions to congestion on local roads. In particular, the proposed extension of Route 37 would alleviate congestion on Airport Road. Throughout the development of this plan, the planning of the Warwick Intermodal Station, a facility combining Amtrak and commuter rail service with consolidated rental Executive Summary ES-3 December 2002

9 car operations, was ongoing. Should plans change, the auto parking expansion plan was designed to be flexible and could accommodate rental cars and all other parking needs in a variety of locations. ES.3 Next Steps Now that a conceptual plan has been developed in the Master Plan, RIAC is pursuing implementation of the short-term aspects of the plan. Several steps are necessary in order to implement the projects: Environmental Analysis: The FAA initiated an EIS in July of 2002 to disclose the potential environmental impacts that could result from the development of the Master Plan s short-term recommendations. Certain other Master Plan recommendations that are independent of the projects being analyzed in the EIS and that are needed in the very short-term (in the next six to 18 months) are being assessed with Environmental Assessments (EAs) or Categorical Exclusions. Permitting: Once the EIS has been completed, environmental permits must be obtained for certain projects, which require preliminary engineering. Design, financing, and construction: Completing this process for the runway extensions, terminal expansion, roadway improvements, and various support facility projects will likely take several years. Terminal Planning: The Master Plan developed a future terminal building footprint and location but did not develop architectural design nor specific interior use, given that many of the security changes as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 are unknown and continue to evolve. A detailed space program will be part of the conceptual and architectural design process. It may also be necessary to update the forecasts to verify the sizing of the terminal expansion, particularly given that several years will have elapsed since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and its impact on traffic can be better judged. RIAC will undertake further detailed terminal planning to address these issues. Master Plan Update: The FAA recommends that master plans be updated every five to seven years, or when there are significant changes in activity. Many of the major projects such as terminal and roadway expansion are projected to be completed and the airfield improvements would be underway by 2008, which would be a prudent time to update the master plan. Noise Exposure Maps (NEMs): Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 150 recommends updating an airport Noise Compatibility Program every five years. The previous Part 150 Study Update at T. F. Green provided NEMs for 1997 and 2002 conditions. RIAC will update its NEMs for 2008 as part of the EIS. S:\02PVD\Master Plan\Final Document\executive summary.doc Executive Summary ES-4 December 2002

10 Insert Attachment 1 April 3 letter from FAA accepting the forecasts. Executive Summary ES-5 December 2002

11 Attachment 2 Federal Aviation Administration Record of Decision On Environmental Impact Statement TO BE PROVIDED UPON COMPLETION OF THE EIS Executive Summary ES-6 December 2002

12 Attachment 3 Future Airport Layout Plan TO BE PROVIDED UPON COMPLETION OF THE EIS Executive Summary ES-7 December 2002

Introduction DRAFT March 9, 2017

Introduction DRAFT March 9, 2017 Chapter Overview The City of Redmond (City) initiated an update to the Airport Master Plan ( Plan ) to assess the facility and service needs of the Redmond Municipal Airport ( the Airport ) throughout