RESOLUTION NO. C-________ A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH CALLING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT WOULD FAIRLY ALLOCATE THE BURDENS AND BENEFITS OF AIR TRANSPORTATION ACROSS THE REGION, AND FURTHER URGING SUPPORT OF SOLUTIONS THAT WOULD EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTE AIR TRANSPORTATION ACTIVITY TO EXISTING HIGH USE
URBANIZED AIRPORTS AS WELL AS THOSE AIRPORTS WITH UNDER-UTILIZED CAPACITY IN COMMUNITIES
THAT ARE DESIROUS OF THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF AIRPORT EXPANSION AND INCREASED PASSENGER AND
CARGO ACTIVITY
WHEREAS, air transportation issues are of local, regional and national
concern; and
WHEREAS, dramatic increases in air carrier and air cargo aviation
operations are expected in the Southern California region over the next several
decades; and
WHEREAS, in order to adequately and appropriately achieve effective
use of new and existing airport facilities throughout the region, it is necessary to
develop and implement a regional transportation plan to meet the Southland’s current
and expected air capacity needs and to equitably distribute the benefits and the
burdens of air transportation across the region; and
WHEREAS, the highly urbanized areas of the region that operate in built
out environments that are approaching or have already exceeded the capacity of their
airport facilities currently bear a disproportionate share of the region's air traffic which
has, and continues to result in, adverse environmental impacts and likewise has
negatively effected the overall quality of life in said urbanized areas; and
WHEREAS, the potential adverse impacts of continued air transportation
growth in highly urbanized areas requires the consideration and development of regional strategies and policies designed to decentralize aviation demand while at the
same time promoting the use of airports with under-utilized capacity in communities that
are eager for the economic benefits of airport expansion and increased passenger and
cargo activity; and
WHEREAS, further air transportation growth and capacity should not be
forced on already overburdened airports located in communities, such as Long Beach,
that do not desire or want increased growth beyond that already strategically planned
for; and
WHEREAS, certain outlying airports and communities, such as Ontario,
Palmdale, and other airports in the Inland Empire and elsewhere, have expressed
strong interest in accommodating regional, national and international flight activity at
their currently under-utilized facilities;
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Long Beach resolves
as follows:
Section 1. That the City of Long Beach, California, calls upon the cities of
Southern California; the Counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside
and Ventura, the State of California; and our Congressional and local representatives to
join together in further pursuit of a cooperative, collaborative and comprehensive
process to develop a regional airport plan for Southern California that reflects
environmental, environmental justice, and local quality of life constraints at existing
airports that operate in built-out urban environments, and that seeks a decentralized
approach to aviation planning which equitably distributes flight activity to those airports
and communities with under-utilized capacity that are eager for the economic benefits
of airport expansion and increased passenger and cargo activity, and which would not
force additional capacity upon those already overburdened areas of the region that
currently bear a disproportionate share of the region’s air traffic.
Sec. 2. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by
the City Council, and the City Clerk shall certify to the vote adopting this resolution.
