Rob Andrews: “as we consider the FY06 Transportation, Treasury, HOD, Judiciary, and District of Columbia Appropriations Act today, I…”

“as we consider the FY06 Transportation, Treasury, HOD, Judiciary, and District of Columbia Appropriations Act today, I would like to take this opportunity to express my opposition to the proposed Runway 17-35 expansion at the Philadelphia International Airport. Over the past several months, I have strongly urged the FAA to investigate and pursue the construction of a new parallel runway, rather than continuing with its endorsement of Build Alternative 1, which is an ineffective use of taxpayer dollars. The information presented in the final Environmental Impact Statement, EIS, indicates that there will be minimal gains in airport efficiency with the extension of Runway 17-35. The projected average delay per operation in 2007 is 15.3 minutes under the No-Action Alternative. The EIS indicated that Alternative 1 would cost the taxpayers approximately $36 million, yet would only result in an 84- second delay reduction. While this alternative purports a slightly greater reduction in the 2015 projected delays, the EIS indicated only a 6.5-minute delay reduction, which is less than the 7.5-minute delay reduction that was projected in the Draft EIS, DEIS. I think it would be a much better use of taxpayer funds to evaluate the potential installation of a new parallel runway rather than extending Runway 17- 35; it makes no sense to spend $36 million with no real ensuing benefits.…”