IAH Runway Expansion

[wxman]

According to the Chronicle this evening, IAH, according to the Houston Airport System's master plan, is going to be adding two additional runways to the airport to reduce traffic congestion. However, as is always the case, stubborn residence want to block the proposal. The runways are to be oriented east and west either on the north side or south side of the airport. But they will be located a considerable distance from the other runways. Any reason why? One of the comments at the bottom of the article states that the runway will be placed more than a mile south of existing runway 9/27. Wonder why? It seems, in agreement with the poster, that it would make more sense to stack the runways close. Thoughts?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6423231.html

Edited May 14, 2009 by wxman

[TheNiche]

One of the comments at the bottom of the article states that the runway will be placed more than a mile south of existing runway 9/27. Wonder why? It seems, in agreement with the poster, that it would make more sense to stack the runways close. Thoughts?

Go on Google Earth and check out where the vacant land is relative to IAH. Seems to me like the FAA is assessing its options within reasonable boundaries of the airport.

[ricco67]

Part of the reason could be that they just want to acquire the land now, so they don't have to go through any future hoops when the need to acquire more comes.

Additionally, I would imagine part of it would be safety, but since I don't know that much about airport operations, I would simply be speculating.

[JLWM8609]

The runways are to be oriented east and west either on the north side or south side of the airport. But they will be located a considerable distance from the other runways. Any reason why? One of the comments at the bottom of the article states that the runway will be placed more than a mile south of existing runway 9/27. Wonder why? It seems, in agreement with the poster, that it would make more sense to stack the runways close. Thoughts?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6423231.html

If the runways are too close, that would restrict parallel approaches in visibility restricted conditions.

[lockmat]

If the government is going to come in and completely alter someones lives, they should take very good care of them and consider it part of business and an expense. Maybe I don't know, but it seems from all I've read and heard, people never get the true value of their home when it's taken away.

It's not right for the govt to have their cake and eat it too.

or maybe I'm just talking above my head, if so, please someone educate me on the issue

...

[Houston19514]

According to the Chronicle this evening, IAH, according to the Houston Airport System's master plan, is going to be adding two additional runways to the airport to reduce traffic congestion. However, as is always the case, stubborn residence want to block the proposal. The runways are to be oriented east and west either on the north side or south side of the airport. But they will be located a considerable distance from the other runways. Any reason why? One of the comments at the bottom of the article states that the runway will be placed more than a mile south of existing runway 9/27. Wonder why? It seems, in agreement with the poster, that it would make more sense to stack the runways close. Thoughts?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6423231.html

The separation allows for full operations in low-visibility conditions (instrument landing). I believe the key is for runways to be one-mile apart.

[MaggieMay]

If the government is going to come in and completely alter someones lives, they should take very good care of them and consider it part of business and an expense. Maybe I don't know, but it seems from all I've read and heard, people never get the true value of their home when it's taken away.

It's not right for the govt to have their cake and eat it too.

or maybe I'm just talking above my head, if so, please someone educate me on the issue

...

Can you remember details about what you read & heard? If not, there are some folks who know about real estate on this board; maybe they will have some real data.

The pore ol' couple referenced in that article own 14 rental properties & a trucking company. So I doubt they will be eating catfood in their retirement.

(Is IAH "the government"?)

[Rail]

If this is the same as the master plan, hardly ANY homes will be taken. The airport's existing boundaries are more than enough to accommodate two, even three more east-west runways.

Here's a link to the IAH master plan:

http://www.fly2houston.com/SPMasterPlan

The reason a runway would be placed a mile away from an existing runway is to allow for simultaneous operations in all weather/visibility conditions. I believe current FAA requirements state that such runways must have at least 4100 ft of separation between them. That's the reason Atlanta's fifth runway was built a mile south of it's then southern-most runway, and required bridging I-285.

[Houston19514]

The airport's existing boundaries are more than enough to accommodate two, even three more east-west runways.

Here's a link to the IAH master plan:

http://www.fly2houston.com/SPMasterPlan

Not true. See figure 1-2 in the Executive Summary of the linked Master Plan

[Rail]

Not true. See figure 1-2 in the Executive Summary of the linked Master Plan

That doesn't make much sense though, why wouldn't they just move proposed runway 9R/27L south by about 1000 additional feet to avoid taking any homes? Doing so would probably provide enough spacing for a future 9C/27C (third new runway I was talking about) to the north of the existing subdivision. The facilities in figure 1-1 shown south of the proposed runway could be moved elsewhere.