HAHN UNVEILS LAX PLAN CRITICS BLAST COST OF MAYOR'S DESIGN.

Byline: Beth Barrett and Rick Orlov Staff Writers

Mayor James Hahn showed off his $9 billion, 11-year Los Angeles International Airport modernization plan with fanfare Wednesday but immediately faced sharp criticism over its cost and benefits.

The project calls for improvements to runways and taxiways to accommodate jumbo jets, construction of remote check-in centers and a people-mover tram to the main terminals.

It would allow for 78.9 million passengers a year. The current airport was designed for about 40 million passengers annually, and last year operated at 56.2 million passengers.

Hahn told a crowd of about 400 supporters, mainly from unions, downtown business interests and opponents of LAX expansion, at the Los Angeles Center Studios that the project would maintain Los Angeles' position as an international gateway city, create 49,000 construction jobs and improve security.

``If we don't build airports that are safe, or perceived as safe, people won't use air travel,'' Hahn said.

Most airlines objected to the cost of the project at a time they are facing severe economic pressures, and security analysts disputed the city consultants' claims that by sending passengers through ``concentric rings'' of security, the airport would be more secure.

David Fleming, former vice chairman of the California Transportation Commission and a longtime San Fernando Valley civic leader, called the plan ``stupid'' and a politically motivated effort to reward special interests. Airlines will never spend billions of dollars for an airport limited to 79 million passengers a year, putting them at risk of losing international business to Las Vegas, San Francisco and other West Coast airports, he said.

``It's never going to fly,'' Fleming said. ``This whole thing has been a joke from the beginning. It's too expensive; the airlines won't buy it.

``This was something politically promised at the time Hahn got elected. ... It's been a nod to organized labor, who will give him credit for trying, and it's made a lot of his friends rich who fought secession and promoted him in office. The whole thing's ridiculous.''

Since 1993, the city has spent $115 million on consultants and other costs associated with the master plan, the bulk of it before Hahn was elected mayor. Former Mayor Richard Riordan had proposed expansion of LAX to 98 million passengers a year.

Palmdale Mayor James Ledford said that while LAX needs improvements, he wants the Los Angeles-owned airport in his community developed faster.

``What's disappointing is we want it now, when time is on our side and regional growth is going to make the facility more and more viable,'' Ledford said.

United flies alone

Representatives of the airline industry said the plan would put a severe burden on the industry and result in higher ticket prices.

``In general, the concern is that a plan of that size is going to have a pretty severe impact on the airlines for sure,'' said Kelley Brown, executive director of the Los Angeles Airlines Airport Affairs Committee, an industry group representing all airlines serving LAX.

United Airlines, LAX's largest operator, was the sole airlines industry with a representative speaking on behalf of the ``process'' city officials are engaged in for LAX.

United spokesman Alan Wayne said he hadn't seen a proposal better than Hahn's.

Council members, several who said they hadn't been briefed in advance, were divided on the proposal.

The panel's newest members, Councilmen Tony Cardenas and Martin Ludlow, said they had major concerns over what the mayor was planning for LAX and its impact on the local economy.

``If we are just talking about some temporary jobs and sustaining the status quo, I'm not sure that's enough,'' Ludlow said.

``LAX has been an economic engine, and we have to look at it to do more to develop more jobs, more higher-paying jobs, and to continue to boost tourism in the city.''

Cardenas voiced similar concerns, as well as doubt over the size of the project.

``I need to know more,'' Cardenas said. ``This is going to be one of the biggest public works projects in the country, and I want to get more information from the airlines, the mayor and the commissioners on this project. To my mind, this is something the verdict is still out on.''

Councilman Eric Garcetti said he also was concerned over impacts on economic development.

``We have 37 percent unemployment in the inner city,'' Garcetti said. ``We have to make sure the airport can do something to spur development and find people jobs. This is something where we have to do more than hold the line.''

Councilman Tom LaBonge, who was not briefed, worried about accessibility for residents and tourists. ``We want to make sure Los Angeles remains competitive, and we have an airport that people want to use.''

Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, whose district includes the airport, questioned the economics of the project. ``We need information on whether this will work and if it makes economic sense.''

She was impressed with moving runways for air safety reasons, but had questions over off-site facilities for passengers.

Councilman Bernard C. Parks said noise from low-flying planes, traffic during the renovation and air quality are concerns.

``There doesn't seem to be a lot of consideration for the people in the east,'' said Parks, who's district lies east of LAX, ``although there's a lot of consideration for the south and the north, by moving runways to cut down on noise.''

Concerns for safety

Councilman Jack Weiss said he hadn't yet had the chance to read through the lengthy materials on Hahn's airport plan, but said he was concerned about whether it would truly make the airport safer from terrorism.

``I read Congresswoman (Jane) Harman's Rand report and that raised serious questions about whether this proposal makes the airport more or less secure from terrorism,'' Weiss said. ``Those are still my main concerns.''

Councilwoman Janice Hahn, the mayor's sister, strongly embraced the proposal.

``Our airport is badly outdated and needs to be modernized,'' she said. ``This is a plan that will encourage people to get out of their cars and make the airport run more smoothly.''

The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce supports the concept, but its president wants to ask detailed questions.

``The greater business community was never consulted in the actual development of the plan, nor have we received any detailed presentation,'' said Rusty Hammer, chamber president. We want to make sure that the plan for LAX make sense and meets the transportation needs of the greater L.A. area.

Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., said LAX has to ready itself for jumbo-jet traffic to remain competitive. ``We have to move forward very, very quickly.''

Hahn acknowledged the key to the modernization was finding a ``funding stream,'' but said a mix of landing fees, terminal rentals, concession revenues, grants and other nontaxpayer dollars could be found to begin the project by 2004.

Limiting LAX's capacity is one step in a regional air traffic strategy, including growth at the city's Ontario and Palmdale airports, he said.

El Segundo Mayor Mike Gordon and his coalition opposed to LAX expansion called the plan a victory for neighborhoods. He said passengers would be limited by the airport's physical design. ``Expanding LAX was not fair, not safe, not prudent.''

Bruce Ackerman, president and CEO of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, said the plan lacked details and that the price tag was too high. He said decentralization was possible in other ways, including smart terminals through which baggage could be screened at regional FlyAways.

``I don't think this plan stands a snowball's chance.''

Less-costly safety

The Los Angeles Airlines Airport Affairs Committee has long advocated a series of less-costly safety and other modifications to LAX, noting ``U.S. airlines lost $11 billion last year. ... Over 100,000 airline workers have lost their jobs ... (so) it is the wrong time to radically redesign LAX.''

The safety claims also have been questioned by other security analysts, including a Rand study that said remote centers don't really address the dangers associated with concentrations of people.

The plan now begins a public review period, including nine hearings on environmental documents, through Aug. 25. Undecided is whether an expensive baggage tunnel will be included, said airports commission President Ted Stein.

Staff Writers Mariel Garza and Harrison Sheppard contributed to this story.

Beth Barrett, [phone]

beth.barrett(at)dailynews.com

LAX UPGRADE

Here are key elements of Mayor James Hahn's $9.8 billion plan to upgrade Los Angeles International Airport.

--Runways would be reconfigured to increase safety and reduce the possibility of runway incursions.

--The number of gates would be decreased from 163 to 153 to limit passengers to 78.9 million a year.

--Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and the northern portion of the Tom Bradley International Terminal would be demolished. A satellite concourse would be built west of the Bradley Terminal and would connect to the Central Terminal Area by an underground people-mover.

--The Central Terminal Area would be reconfigured, and existing parking structures would be demolished and replaced by passenger terminals.

--A ground transportation center would be developed for parking and curbside passenger pickup and drop-off.

--A transportation center would provide connections to the Central Terminal, rental car facility, the Metro Green Line's Aviation Station and MTA Rapid Buses.

--People-mover trains would connect transportation centers and the Central Terminal. Trains would be available every two minutes, with an average wait of a minute.

SOURCE: Los Angeles World Airports 

CAPTION(S):

box, map

Box:

LAX UPGRADE (see text)

Map:

HAHN'S PLAN FOR LAX

SOURCE: City of Los Angeles 

Gregg Miller/Staff Artist