The San Diego Regional Airport Authority has chosen a team of consultants and an advisory group to lead a market study to determine how many people might use a cross-border terminal connecting the U.S. with Tijuana’s Gen. A.L. Rodrìguez International Airport runway.
A team comprising Infrastructure Management Group, Inc., in collaboration with Eclat Consulting, Pacific Gateway Group and Competitive Edge Research and Communication, has been named as consultants to lead the market demand study, according to a statement released this week by the Airport Authority.
The Airport Authority also formed an advisory group made up of about 20 representatives from government and transportation agencies including the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), the economic development community, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the business community and Mexican transportation and government agencies, said Keith Wilschetz, director of airport planning.
“We want to make sure we have representation from both sides of the border,” Wilschetz said.
The $385,000 study, slated to begin this month, will look at different terminal and runway configurations. Wilschetz said the panel would look at two configurations, including a simple parking lot with a walkway for passage to Rodrìguez Field or a complete terminal on the U.S. side with a taxiway over to the international runway.
He said the study would strictly look at the number of people that would use such a facility before taking any steps toward construction.
“We would take a look at that [number] and decide whether we feel if that’s feasible or not,” he said. The idea of a cross-border terminal has been batted around for several years, according to Cindy Gompper-Graves, director of the South Economic Development Council. However, the possibility took on more serious consideration after voters turned down last November’s ballot proposal to build an airport at MCAS Miramar.
Final tallies showed 61 percent of San Diego voters voted against the proposition. Gompper-Graves said a new airport terminal would help relieve the some of the pressure for crowded travelers as well as offer flights not currently offered at San Diego International Airport, such as a nonstop flight to Japan.
Established in 2003, the Airport Authority operates the San Diego International Airport and serves as the Airport Land Use Commission for areas surrounding the county’s 16 regional airports, according to the Airport Authority’s website. For more information, visit www.san.org.