Two hours of dialogue among the top officials involved in finding a long-term air traffic solution for San Diego County produced a small glimpse into what the agency in charge of the search will face in coming months.
More than 17 private and government officials took part in a roundtable discussion headed by U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, Tuesday, March 21, at the San Diego Convention Center.
Statements made by the delegates representing the major stakeholders who have a vested interest in the outcome of the search being conducted by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority largely solidified positions that have been taken for years, especially concerning joint-use with military installations
But a recently completed feasibility study on a possible high-speed maglev train to Imperial County provoked a full press by U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-San Diego), who sits on the aviation subcommittee, on why the authority hasn’t looked more closely at a maglev/airport combo in the Imperial desert.
Filner chided airport authority officials for being stuck on the 100-plus mile distance to the location instead of the time it might take to get there in a train capable of reaching 300 mph on flat ground, which would cut the commute to less than 30 minutes.
“You’re not thinking broadly enough because you have some built-in assumptions,” he told authority officials.
But Paul Nieto, chair of the airport authority’s Strategic Planning Committee, insisted it wasn’t that easy, referring to the 4,000-foot elevation a maglev train would need to surmount. Nieto also pointed out that distance and time was part of the market feasibility criteria used to weigh the current list of options that include five military installations and four civilian sites.
“It’s important that we’re thorough and that we remain objective,” he said.
The criticism comes fresh off the heels of a feasibility study completed by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) this past week that puts the price range of such a venture at $15 to $25 billion, depending on five different alignments originating from either downtown San Diego, Qualcomm Stadium or Miramar Station.
Compare that to a proposal that would build out a supplemental runway in East Miramar and require the relocation of a five-mile section of Interstate 15 at a cost of up to $500 million.
Filner was quick to defend the expensive venture as a long term investment in developing tourism and trade throughout the Southwest region, while alleviating San Diego’s housing crisis by cutting down on commute time.
But after the roundtable, Mica suggested that securing federal funds would be a long shot given needs elsewhere in the country for a similar project, namely a north-south route along the Eastern seaboard near the New England states.
“There are a lot of things that need to be done,” he said. “Those who have their act together would probably go first.”
Having an “act,” Mica said, would entail market viability, a likelihood of strong ridership and the promise of matching funds from the state, something officials with the California Department of Transportation have said would not happen without a bond measure.
Without those ducks in a row, Mica said it was doubtful the county would see any federal funds before a similar project on the East Coast, insisting that project hierarchy was based more on need than cost.
“The numbers don’t scare me,” he said. “A billion dollars doesn’t go as far as it used to.”