Salt Lake International Airport Development Thread

[ucsbgaucho]

Snapped a shot of the progress of the new terminal as I taxied to the runway this evening. Looks massive!

[TheWire]

Did anyone else see the news that Denver is spending $1.5B to expand DIA by 39 additional gates? Also spending $1.8B to improve the main terminal to streamline ticketing, security (finally) and concessions? Based on the renderings, it seems to me like vast majority of the new gates will be serving smaller, regional jets with three additional gates that could accommodate wide body jets and could be potential international swing gates.

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/05/29/denver-international-airport-gate-expansion-breaks-ground/

[San Diego-Honolulu]

Originally Posted by TheWire

Did anyone else see the news that Denver is spending $1.5B to expand DIA by 39 additional gates? Also spending $1.8B to improve the main terminal to streamline ticketing, security (finally) and concessions? Based on the renderings, it seems to me like vast majority of the new gates will be serving smaller, regional jets with three additional gates that could accommodate wide body jets and could be potential international swing gates.

https://www.denverpost.com/2018/05/29/denver-international-airport-gate-expansion-breaks-ground/

Yeah, they are adding I believe four additional wide body gates to the A concourse to help relieve the pressure on the current international gate situation. They are also adding more gates to A concourse but I don't know the exact number. United Airlines recently said they intend to make Houston-Bush, Chicago-O'Hare, and Denver their main hubs of focus going forward. With that Denver is going to be growing even more so that is why on the B concourse where United is you'll see regional gates added on the east-end and four mainline gates on the west-end. Southwest also wants to grow Denver and they are adding sixteen gates to the C concourse where Southwest currently resides. They are also updating the concourses as well to a more modern look. Currently the Denver airport has a pretty dark/grey feel inside so they will be adding a lot of white and light colors to the airport. Denver really is turning into a "smaller" version of the Atlanta airport. Denver's trans oceanic routes are impressive as well. They have Tokyo, Reykjavik, London (LHR and LGW), Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, and Zurich. They also have a ton of destinations throughout North America and Central America including Panama City. There is a rumor that a new international airline will be announcing Denver service soon to a new international destination. My money is on Turkish Airlines to Istanbul or Emirates to Dubai.

[San Diego-Honolulu]

Frontier Airlines is starting nonstop service between San Antonio and Salt Lake City. Service begins August 15, running twice a week. They are also starting Austin to Salt Lake City next month.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/n...ng-more-nonstop-destinations-for-sa.html

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by San Diego-Honolulu

Frontier Airlines is starting nonstop service between San Antonio and Salt Lake City. Service begins August 15, running twice a week. They are also starting Austin to Salt Lake City next month.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/n...ng-more-nonstop-destinations-for-sa.html

Sweet! I was excited about the Austin service, but this is even better.

[Hatman]

I got to/had to pick somebody up from the airport yesterday, and I got to see the construction for myself. It's really coming along now, and boy that elevated road will be massive! If only TRAX got just as much funding...

[i-215]

Originally Posted by Hatman

If only TRAX got just as much funding...

I'm still miffed at the legislature (and perhaps the mayor) for screwing that up. Why on earth can't the airport authority just pay for the TRAX bridge? That would've been a drop in the bucket for the $2bn project. Such a stupid state law.

[Hatman]

Yes, clearly it's the legislature's fault and not the airport authority - they have follow the law like everyone else.

I wonder if the new UTA bill will prevent this sort of thing in the future. As I understand it, the new bill makes UDOT in charge of building and owning all future transit infrastructure. Perhaps that would have some effect upon the legality of a law prohibiting the use of funds on transit projects?

[soulcapn]

Originally Posted by i-215

I'm still miffed at the legislature (and perhaps the mayor) for screwing that up. Why on earth can't the airport authority just pay for the TRAX bridge? That would've been a drop in the bucket for the $2bn project. Such a stupid state law.

As fun as it would be to have the Trax trains arrive on the 2nd level, I am glad the legislature and/or "messed it up". And, i have more confidence in the Airport becasue they aren't willing to waste my ticket fees on a unnecessary expense.

It was absolutely crazy from a finance perspective. How do you justify building an overhead train bridge/station when the same functionality can be accomplished by an at grade station and maybe an extra elevator and set of escalators.

Would the raised platform increase ridership? No. Nobody makes their decision to use trax based on which level of the airport the station arrives at.
that's crazy. It might be cool, but I prefer lower taxes and cheaper flights long term.

[s.p.hansen]

The New Airport is coming along nicely. On the point of TRAX. My disappointment is that they didn’t use this opportunity during the rebuild to extend TRAX out to the manufacturing / warehouse district. So many people working out that way make something like $14.50 an hour and live on the West Side of the City. I can’t think of a demographic and workplace connection that needs TRAX more than the Green Line out to the Amazon warehouse area. Trafffic is horrible out there too.

Salt Lake City is now part of this development plan for lots of warehousing and manufacturing. And yet we seem to have zero concerns about the infrastructure needed to see that it develops smoothly.

[i-215]

Originally Posted by soulcapn

It was absolutely crazy from a finance perspective. How do you justify building an overhead train bridge/station when the same functionality can be accomplished by an at grade station and maybe an extra elevator and set of escalators.

You could make the same argument for the elevated roadway. Why not just have an escalator and make the road twice as wide?

[soulcapn]

Originally Posted by i-215

You could make the same argument for the elevated roadway. Why not just have an escalator and make the road twice as wide?

One could, except for the fact that there are numerous other benefits separating the arrival and departure traffic. I think everybody, especially those on this forum can appreciate the cost benefit analysis of the elevated roadway for drop-off / at grade roadway for pickup. Even without knowing the math behind it, I can compare the current SLC traffic situation, and compare it to other airports that divide the Arrival and Departure traffic and see the value.

We can discuss the merits of individuals driving personal autos vs. public transportation to the Airport all day and night. However, for the foreseeable future it isn't going to change much. People are going to arrive to/depart from the airport in their own personal car, a friends car, or use ride-share service. That means a lot of cars in and out of the airport. Allowing pick-up and drop-off to happen closest to the needed services and separating those two groups makes the most sense and is worth investment.

Light rail is structurally different. The car is substantially bigger, the infrastructure needed is more complex than a paved lane (even an elevated one) the right of way is fixed and provides the path for both arrival and departure, the traffic of the rail car is scheduled and consistent, and by nature, both people using Trax for arrival and departure must follow this path. In addition, the airport makes sense as an end of the line stop (for now). So with these factors, the station is going to be the end of the line, all passengers (both in and out) will access the station at the same point, they all must travel the same route (at east until they can access other lines and Front runner.) So it boils down to the simple question... to elevate or not to elevate. One costs millions more, without providing any more benefit.

All of this I am sure you understand completely i-215. From all your other posts, I know you have a good handle on this stuff. And I know it stinks when your favorite aspect of a project gets cut. But "this is a dead parrot" stop pining for the fjords.

[Hatman]

^^^
From the passenger's experience the only real difference is that the elevated TRAX station would have been basically inside the parking garage. The platform itself would be open-air, but passengers would immediately enter the climate-controlled area of the airport's welcome center. The ground-level station location requires passengers to enter/exit the airport building and walk on the sidewalk outside (exposed to wind, rain, snow etc), even if it is for a very short distance.
It's a small difference, but it makes a big deal to overall experience.

What I'm more annoyed about is the fact that the airport was prohibited - by state law - from using redevelopment money on any kind of public transit improvements. I mean, this is a public project for a public airport, and there is a prohibition of using public money on public transit? This public money can only be used on private automobiles? How much more dissonant can you get?

I cannot wait for the day when transportation is considered an essential part of any project. Sort of like shopping carts - if you go to a grocery store that requires you to bring your own cart or rent one for a huge fee (with insurance!), I'm sure you would not want to return to that store. A cart is just a thing they have to provide in order for the system to work. One day free public transportation will be just as expected. What good is a public airport, a public library, or a public park, if there is no way for people to get to them other than paying a large fee to some autonomous taxi corporation? When that day comes, people will look back on the story of the airport TRAX station and shake their heads and wonder how anyone could have ever survived back in our days.

[i-215]

Originally Posted by Hatman

What I'm more annoyed about is the fact that the airport was prohibited - by state law - from using redevelopment money on any kind of public transit improvements. I mean, this is a public project for a public airport, and there is a prohibition of using public money on public transit?

Amen!

[Hatman]

Alright, i-215, I'll be fair and include public roads in my list too. Just because I like you!

[Wasatch Wasteland]

If any of you are Snapchat users, you can use the hotspot feature in map mode to view stories that construction workers inside the new airport have been posting. Have seen quite a few decent glimpses of the interior, photo and video.

[i-215]

Originally Posted by Hatman

Alright, i-215, I'll be fair and include public roads in my list too. Just because I like you!

Thanks.

[jubguy3]

Exciting news - it was announced today that the second C-Series pilot base behind NYC will be SLC. So SLC should expect to base 1/3 -1/2 of the expected 75 CS100 being delivered starting next gear.

[wrendog]

Originally Posted by jubguy3

Exciting news - it was announced today that the second C-Series pilot base behind NYC will be SLC. So SLC should expect to base 1/3 -1/2 of the expected 75 CS100 being delivered starting next gear.

Is the CS100 considered a regional jet or a mainline jet?

[jubguy3]

Originally Posted by wrendog

Is the CS100 considered a regional jet or a mainline jet?

It's mainline like the 717. Scope contracts are limited to 75 seats but the CS100 seats ~108 in 2 class configurations.