Airport answers: WHAT?????

Airport answers: MOU, unknown, Las Vegas, Yelp, and JetBlue did not rotate slots

LB Airport responds to neighborhood follow-up questions with its own "alternate facts"

At the December 2016 City Council Airport Study Session, 8th District Councilman Al Austin submitted questions to the Airport Director concerning Jacobs'  Feasibility Study on the international terminal (FIS).  When those answers were made public, 4th District Councilman Daryl Supernaw asked if any of his constituents had follow-up questions about the airport's answers.

On January 10, 2017 neighborhood leaders of the Los Altos Center Adjacent Neighborhoods (LACAN) submitted numerous follow-up questions.  Long Beach Airport Director Jess Romo answered those questions in an email today January 23, 2017-one day before January 24, 2017. Below is a synopsis of the important points in the Airport Director's responses.

The Airport could not provide a process on how to close a FIS facility if no major carrier flies international from LB

According to the Jacobs Study, only JetBlue is interested in an international terminal at Long Beach Airport.  In his answer to Councilman Austin as to what would happen to the FIS facility it "it is not used in the future", the Airport Director responded that the Homeland Security customs personnel would be "redeployed"  and the "FIS would be repurposed" .

LACAN asked the follow-up question "What is the process for a FIS facility being shut down?" Romo's answer was that the process to close the FIS would be "detailed in a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Department of Homeland Security, if the FIS Project is approved to move forward".

So according to the Airport Director, the plan if JetBlue stops flying internationally or leaves Long Beach is that the Airport plans to have a memorandum with Homeland Security to close an FAA-approved facility. 

Currently, the FAA is threatening Santa Monica over its plans to close its airport:  FAA threatens to sue Santa Monica

When Fresno-Yosemite International lost its only international carrier it was forced to keep the international terminal open and pay for  a terminal without a carrier. Months later, a start-up Mexican carrier started a few weekly flights.

Airport admits:

No known examples of repurposing a FIS facility

LACAN asked Director Romo; "What are the most recent occurrences in the U.S. of a FIS facility being shut down?"

Director Romo replied "Unknown".

In response to the LACAN question "If any FIS facilities were shuttered, what was the FIS repurposed into?

Director Romo replied " No known examples of FIS facility repurposing. However, it is common practice for Airport facilities to be adaptively re-used."

No data about the economic benefits of domestic vs. international flights

In response to a LACAN question about the cost-benefit of domestic vs international flights -similar to Mayor Garcia's concerns, the Airport Director's answer included:

"The scope of the Feasibility Study did not include a benefit/cost analysis or a comparative analysis between domestic or international flights".

Airport denies JetBlue's  "slot rotation" or "slot squatting"

One of the concerns raised in numerous public meetings from Mayor Garcia, Councilman Supernaw and Councilman Al Austin was the practice of JetBlue not to fly all of its LGB flight slots by using a practice of "rotating" its slots or as Councilman Austin called it "slot squatting".  That practice harmed the income of  LGB and was only discontinued when Southwest came to LGB and demanded the unused JetBlue slots.  

In March 2016, Mayor Garcia met with neighbors at the Los Altos Center Bagelry & Bistro and directly discussed his views about JetBlue and the airline's lack of competition allowing slot rotation.

In response to a question by LACAN regarding the fiscal harm JetBlue's well-documented and well-known "slot rotating" or "slot squatting", Airport Director Romo wrote:  "JetBlue has not rotated allotted slots but utilized them within the guidelines of the resolution, Any potential shortage in revenue is recovered through higher rates and charges to the air carriers"

The airport cannot back up FIS convention business

In response to Mayor Garcia, Councilman Austin and the LB Convention and Visitor Bureau's concerns about domestic vs international flights' impact on LB convention business, the Airport in its response to Councilman Austin's original questions wrote that it was "speculative" domestic flights were better for LB Convention business.  The Airport replied that the Jacobs Study did not "specifically analyze convention traffic from Latin America" and added that " LGB is not aware of data concerning origin and destinations of convention traffic" and "Assuming opportunities for convention traffic from Latin America is speculative"  .

In response to a LACAN question on what potential  Mexican convention business is located in the Mexican resort towns, the Airport replied: "Not all forecasted destinations are tourist towns" and cited Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Panama City. 

The only two cities JetBlue currently flies to in Mexico is Mexico City and Cancun.  Click on JetBlue flights

Mexico City airport currently is not allowing any further flights and JetBlue does not service Panama City.  The U.S. State Department has issues travel warnings for Americans traveling to Panama: Click on U.S. Tourists to Panama warnings

LB compared to Las Vegas, Seattle and Boston in study as "like" markets

LACAN asked what cities ("like markets") were used to evaluate the Long Beach tourist rate to the "historical data of like markets" data that was quoted in the airport answers to Councilman Austin's Question #26.

Airport Director Romo wrote:

"Distribution between origination and destination passengers for a majority of the forecasted international markets is comparable to the Las Vegas market..."

Mr. Romo's answer went on to explain two exceptions to Las Vegas: "Guadalajara is comparable to the Seattle market" and "Panama City is comparable to the Boston market"

In the LACAN question related to the answer to Councilman Austin's Question #2 that states about the FIS that "most of the traffic is expected to be outbound"   Director Romo writes: "Similar to the predominately outbound Las Vegas market, every passenger departing from LGB has an economic footprint".

The airport uses Yelp for data on inbound tourists

The LACAN question "What data shows that any inbound tourist traffic would choose LGB over LAX?   Airport Director Romo replied:

"The scope of the study did not include a survey of passenger preference between local airports. However, the current Yelp rating for LGB is 4.5 stars versus 2.5 stars for LAX."

Yelp does not exist in South America. It arrived in Mexico in August of 2014 but was unable to capture many followers. 

In November 2015, Yelp announced it was pulling out of international markets except for Canada.

Click on YELP Leaves international markets

LB council to vote on Airport on Tuesday

International Terminal final showdown 

LB City Council Airport vote on Tuesday Jan 24th

  

The Long Beach City Council is scheduled to vote on the controversial request from JetBlue for an international terminal (FIS facility) at the Long Beach Airport on Tuesday January 24th at 5:00 pm.

The International Terminal is the only Regular Item on the agenda, with the city staff recommending a yes vote. 
Click on: Agenda

Neighborhood opponents to the airport re-designation  of the airport into an international terminal point to numerous issues including: the possibility of  a challenge to the LB Noise Ordinance;  the lack of reliable evidence an FIS will provide significant local economic benefits; a decrease in domestic flights; and significant economic risks in international travel with Mexico during the Trump administration.
Click on MEXICO and TRUMP

Leading a coalition of  Long Beach neighborhoods against the proposal for an FIS terminal at the airport is  HUSH 2.  

Click on HUSH 2

Anticipating JetBlue busing in employees for next week's meeting, HUSH 2 is distributing thousands of flyers across Long Beach neighborhoods asking for residents to show-up for the final show down on the 24th.

New Los Altos Chronic Taco

It's back...

Los Altos gets a new Chronic Taco

The former closed, court-ordered eviction and emptied Chronic Taco franchise in the Los Altos Center North - has been replaced by a new corporate franchise.

The new owners have no connection to the former franchisee. 

The new corporate owner with a new modern interior and splashy new sign opened on Monday December 26th.  At least one former employee was hired by the new owners.

For other changes to the Los Altos Center and updates on new retail in the neighborhood- Click on:
New in the Neighborhood in 2017.

Vegas Casinos learn East Long Beach parking economics lesson

One of the popular governmental bureaucratic urban planning myths is that if you charge more for parking, people will use public transportation.

However, ask any East Long Beach resident near CSULB or the Long Beach Airport and they will give you a lesson on parking economics- when there is free parking vs. paid parking- human nature is that people will opt for the free parking.  

Apparently, that is not just a California economic law as the Las Vegas casinos have learned.  Video camera's have provided the casino's the proof what taxi drivers have known for years-that locals are parking free at the casinos then using taxis (or now ride sharing services) to go to the Las Vegas Airport, thus saving the $10 a day parking at the airport economy lot or the $16 a day long term lot.

So now the Las Vegas casinos are going to be forced to charge daily rates to prevent the airport parking to try and fight the parking freeloaders.  However, necessity is the mother of invention- and locals will most likely figure new free parking places. 

Just ask anyone from living near CSULB or the Long Beach Airport. 

For more information click on Las Vegas Review and LA Times

Residents near the CSULB campus have long known that CSULB has pushed its students out onto the local streets by slowly increasing parking fees- all while using the bureaucratic urban planning myth that by charging fees and providing free bus passes-students will drive less.  What students do is park in surrounding neighborhoods outside the restricted residential parking zones, then take the 5 min bus to the campus.

Recently, CSULB toyed with the idea of "demand pricing" parking- the newest social engineering parking concept. The problem of course is that the campus sits in the middle of a residential area with tons of free parking.

The neighborhoods near the airport have noticed a recent trend in people parking in the neighborhoods then  calling ride-sharing services for a short ride to the airport-thus saving the daily parking fee.

For more information click on 

CSULB SHIFTS PARKING TO NEIGHBORS

Los Altos to light UP!

December 4th Lighting of the Letters for a 21st Century

Whaley Park Christmas

A mid-century tradition returns this year on December 4th, 2106 to the Los Altos neighborhood adjacient to Whaley Park (North)  with a community lick-off event marking the return of  giant letters spelling out a holiday greeting. 

In the 1950's during the holidays, residents living around the Whaley Park each displayed one giant letter that combined spelled out the holiday message of Merry Christmas and Happy New Year around the perimeter of the park.

Why the tradition was lost and what happened to most of the old letters remains a mystery. However, enough people still remembered the lost tradition as the occasional random letter was found in garages and attics as the Whaley Park homes changed hands over the years, keeping the story alive.

Long time Los Altos resident Bob Sockup with original Whaley Park holiday letter

City Prosecutor Doug Haubert

Fast forward to the 21st Century. In 2015 former LB Airport Commissioner and now Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert (and a long-time 4th District resident) had Kalitta Charters consent to settle 13 LB Noise Ordinance violations for $54,000. Separate from the first Consent Degree fines that go to the Long Beach Library Foundation, the new Kalitta agreement funds went to the Long Beach Community Foundation to establish and administer two community funds that would directly benefit  the airport impacted neighborhoods in the 8th and 4th Council Districts.  
click on Kalitta settlement

In the 4th District, the fund created is called the Los Altos Charitable Giving Fund (LACGF).  Fourth District Councilman Daryl Supernaw was asked to recommend a committee to plan and oversee LACGF projects. The Los Altos resident committee members, Michele "K" Kreinheder, Bill  Marshall and Joe Mello met and quickly decided to bring back the Whaley Park Christmas Letters tradition.

In 2015, a kick-off  event at Whaley Park took place announcing the plans to bring back the holiday letters. Last year's event included displays of one of the original letters and a prototype of the new letters.

Partnering with the Long Beach Area Council of Boy Scouts to produce the new letters, the LACGF committee has been planning this year's Whaley Park Lighting of the Letters event.  Councilman Supernaw's office has supported the committee's efforts as has the newly formed Greater Los Altos Neighborhood Association (GLANA). For more information click on GLANA

This year's event will have all the new Boy Scout built 21st Century versions of the holiday letters up around the park-complete with solar lighting.  Santa will return as will a bounce house, a table with shared neighbor made treats, holiday music and other family fun.  

 

2016 Whaley Park Holiday letters made by Long Beach Boy Scouts will include solar lighting

A box to collect can and dry food goods for holiday meals for families at the Tucker School Transitional Programs of the California Children's Services will also be available at the Lighting of the Letters event.

The Lighting of the Letters event will begin at 3:00 pm at Whaley Park (North) on Sunday December 4th and continue until the letters light-up at dusk.

The land for Whaley Park was donated and is named for Lloyd Whaley, the East Long Beach developer.

Whaley developed numerous areas around Long Beach including the neighborhoods of Los Altos (originally  Los Altos Village), Park Estates (originally as Los Altos Park), and Country Club Manor.  Whaley built the Los Altos Shopping Center and the famed Galaxy Tower on Ocean Blvd in Bluff Park.  Whaley also donated land for numerous public uses including the Los Altos Public Library, Los Altos Park and Scherer Park.

Other Fourth District Holiday events

In his weekly newsletter, 4th District Councilman Daryl Supernaw announced other holiday events in the 4th District including :

·      Joe Jost's Annual Lighting of the Antlers, December 1st

·      The Community Hospital 22nd Annual Tree of Love, December 1st

·      Long Beach Playhouse Miracle on Anaheim Street benfiting the WomenShelter of Long Beach, December 3rd

For more information on these events and other 4th District news click on SUPERNAW  NEWS

This is what a late flight looks and sounds like

This is what a late night flight looks and sounds like...
A commuter jet at 12:40 am on November 22nd over Los Altos hits 79- 81 dB 

On November 22nd, hours after the  Long Beach Noise Ordinance deadline for flights landing,  residents of the Los Altos neighborhood were treated to another late night flight. 

A 14 passenger Gulfstream V

 According to the LB Airport WebTracker site, the aircraft was a Gulfstream V .  It flew over the Los Altos neighborhood at approximately 12:43 am.  The noise monitor by CSULB at the beginning of Los Altos monitored the noise at 79 db. as the plane descended over the homes.

The second to the last noise monitor before the runway, at the end of the Los Altos neighborhoods, had the middle of the night noise registering at 81 dB.      (click on picture below to enlarge)           

                                                                                              

IndustrialNoise.com comparison chart has the following information on what 80 dB is similar to:

Garbage disposal, dishwasher, average factory, freight train (at 15 meters). Car wash at 20 ft (89 dB); propeller plane flyover at 1000 ft (88 dB); diesel truck 40 mph at 50 ft (84 dB); diesel train at 45 mph at 100 ft (83 dB). Food blender (88 dB); milling machine (85 dB); garbage disposal (80 dB).

80

2 times as loud as 70 dB. Possible damage in 8 hour exposure.

for information Click on NOISE

   (click on picture below to enlarge)  

The Gulfstream V  carries a crew of four and up to 14 passengers. It has a range of 6,500 nautical miles ( about 7,500 miles).  The distance from Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is 1,062 nautical miles (1,222 miles).

For more information on late flight noise ordinance violations Click on LATE FLIGHTS 

Regardless of fines, JetBlue noise violations continue

2016 LB Airport late flights fines up 51.6%

The fines for breaking the LB Noise Ordinance late flights restrictions at the  Long Beach Airport are up 51.6% over last year through September of 2016 according to the September Monthly Noise Report released with this month's agenda of the LB Airport Advisory Commission (AAC). 
For more information on this month's AAC meeting click on AAC November

Year-to-date totals for the fines for 2016 through September are $458,000 compared to $236,500 for the same period last year.  

The monthly Noise Ordinance fines in September 2016 amounted to $7,200. This year the September 2016 monthly fines totaled $31,600, a 22.8% jump over the monthly figure from last year. 

According to the September Monthly Noise Report, non-commercial aircraft (General Aviation and Charter flights) noise violations are down 4.4% over last year's year-to-date totals.

Despite flying less flights from Long Beach this year, JetBlue's September 2016 year-to-date Noise Violations amounted to 95 compared to 51 last year, an 86.3%  increase.  This number is more alarming due to the fact that for most of 2016, JetBlue did not fly all of its daily slots. The airline declared it was "rotating" its allotted flight slots causing a considerable negative economic impact to the LB Airport, and thus preventing other airlines taking its non-used spots. 

According to airline industry data complier OAG in its 2016 Monthly On Time Performance (OTP) report, JetBlue ranks 32nd  of  the 53 North American airlines.  According to OAG, JetBlue's on-time arrival rate is 77.2% (with-in 15 minutes is considered on-time by OAG). JetBlue also had the second highest flight cancellation percentage of any major American airline with 2.5%. Of the United States major airlines, only Spirit had a higher flight cancellation rate of 2.8%, but ranked 17th in on time performance in North America.  

Click on OAG REPORT  (see last page for North America)

All six of the Long Beach Airport September commercial aircraft Noise Ordinance violation fines were to JetBlue. The report indicates that the six JetBlue violations were out of 2,377 total monthly commercial flights or .3% of the total.  

The Monthly Report totals do not include those late night flights not fined under the noise ordinance. The report totals are for the late flights that are fined flights deemed violating the Noise Ordinance, not the total number of late flights. The Noise Ordinance does have fine exemptions ( not included in the fined report) for certain reasons that may cause a late flight. The late night flights, fined and not fined, are the most disruptive to neighborhoods living under the flight path.

Requests from neighborhood leaders at the  Community Input Meetings for the International Terminal Feasibility Study to include data on the percentage of international flights that are currently late to the surrounding Southern California airports, that data was not part of the study.

While the LB Airport's own reports show clear evidence of the continued and growing problem of late commercial flights especially by JetBlue at LB Airport, data on the occurrence of international flight delays to Southern California airports has never been brought forward into the proposed International Flights debate at Long Beach Airport.

Only Fourth District Councilman Daryl Supernaw has regularly brought up the continued late night flight problem facing the neighborhoods in City Council meetings and as a regular feature of his weekly newsletters to residents. 

Click on NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 11

JetBlue violations, FIS meeting and Ecco's new patio

JetBlue Noise Ordinance violations up for August 2016

The Long Beach Airport Monthly Noise Report for August 2016  in the Long Beach Airport Advisory Commission Agenda for October 20, 2016 shows the Noise Ordinance late flight defined activity for JetBlue flights again increased in August 2016 over last year.

The monthly report includes the year-to-date total Noise Ordinance defined activity at 325 flights - up 42% over last year.  Of the year-to-date flight violations,  270 (83%) of those are JetBlue late flights.

Nine of JetBlue's 22 late flights in August 2016 were fined (the only commercial airline fined in August 2016), down from 14 last August 2015 ( down 35.7%). JetBlue year-to-date late flights in this time period  are up 78%. Total fines for all commercial aircraft are up 75% (98 total fines) over last year. JetBlue flights make up 89 of the total 98 fined flights this year between (90.8%).

10:00 pm -11:00 pm category

The 10:00 pm- 11:00 pm August 2016 Late Night Noise Ordinance defined activity shows JetBlue had a 10% increase over  August 2015 with 22 late flights. 

The monthly report's chart also shows  that US Air/American Airlines Late Night Noise Ordinance defined activity in the  10:00 pm- 11:00 pm category for August 2016 dropped  almost 78% over last year making the total  August 2016 violations down 17.2% over last August.

Year-to-date through August 2016, Jetblue's Late Night Noise Ordinance defined activity for 10:00 pm- 11:00 pm total increased 34.9% over 2015 for a total of 174 of the total 204  year-to-date Late Night Noise Ordinance defined activity for 2016.  The report shows other carriers year-to-date late flights are: Delta had 16 late flights (up 300%); US Airways/American Airlines 13 late flights (down 55.2%); Southwest 1 late flight (it was not flying Long Beach last year).

11:00 pm -7:00 pm category

The total year-to-date 11:00 pm -7:00 am Late Night Noise Ordinance defined late flights activity for all commercial aircraft was 325 flights-up 42.5%.

JetBlue's Noise Ordinance defined activity for the 11:00 pm- 7:00 am in the monthly report on August 2016 show 19 late flights ( out of 21 total monthly violations) for a 26.7% over last year.  

The total year-to-date 11:00 pm -7:00 am late flights are 121 up 86.3% over last year. JetBlue's late flights year-to-date number 96 flights, up 77.8% over last year.

For more information Click on AUGUST NOISE REPORT

 Latest Noise Ordinance FINE Statistics

Fourth District Councilman Daryl Supernaw provides regular up-to-date accounts of the Noise Ordinance levied fines. 

In the Councilman's October 7th Weekly Newsletter,  the following updated chart included all of September for Noise Ordinance fines:

Month	10:00 pm - 11:00 pm	11:00 pm - 7:00 am	Total	Fines
July	21	11	32	$48,000
August	21	21	42	$54,000
September	13	8	21	$30,300
2016 Total	186	104	290	$435,600
Monthly Avg.	20.7	11.6	31.2	$48,400

Click on SUPERNAW NEWSLETTER

Long Beach Airport International Terminal Study discussion on Thursday at Airport Advisory Commission

The  Airport Advisory Commission will review and discuss the newly released International Terminal study (FIS) this Thursday October 20th.

The meeting will be held at the Long Beach Gas and Oil Department, 2400 East Spring Street at 6:30 pm.  Public Comment on the International Terminal Study Agenda Item will be allowed.

Former Bank of America Home Loans

Bank America Mortgage closes at Los Altos Center South and Ecco's Restaurant  gets new patio seating

The free-standing Bank of America Mortgage Home Loan Center has closed at 2135 N. Bellflower Blvd in the Los Altos Center South (west side of Bellflower Blvd.).

A few doors south of that location, Ecco's Italian Restruant ( aka Ecco's Pizza) has opened a new outside patio on the wide-front facing area along Bellflower Blvd.

For more informaton click on Ecco's Pizza