by Jack Mayne

A cab driver for the Seattle-Tacoma International Taxi Association (STITA), Jaskaran Singh, is credited with finding and returning an envelope of cash to a family that flew into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and took a cab to a downtown hotel. The name of the family is not being used to protect their privacy.

“We arrived very late at night after a long flight from New York,” the traveler wrote to the city taxi authority and to the cab company. “Exhausted from our travels we took a STITA taxi driven by Mr. Jaskaran Singh from the Seattle airport to our hotel.

“My wife was holding a very large amount of cash in an envelope,” the traveler wrote. “This represented all the cash we had in our possession. In the hustle of getting out of the taxi with two small children and handling six pieces of luggage my wife unknowingly lost the envelope containing all our money.

“Upon arriving at our hotel room we soon discovered all our money was missing. We frantically searched the hotel lobby and outside street with no luck. My wife was crying hysterically and our trip was ruined. The children asked how we would survive with no money.

“One of my children thought he remembered the cab number but we were unsure of the taxi company name. From our hotel manager we obtained a phone number for STITA taxi company and called the dispatcher on the unlikely chance he could track down our driver. At this point we were unsure where we lost our money.”

The New Yorker said he told the dispatcher “our sad story and he instantly responded to the gravity of our situation.”

“Despite the large number of taxis at the Seattle airport that evening the dispatcher called me right back to say he was somehow able to locate our particular taxi.

“Moments later I received another call from my driver, Mr. Jaskaran Singh. The first words out of his mouth were ‘there’s a lot of money here.’ Mr. Singh appeared soon afterward and dropped off all our lost money.

“We will always remember Mr. Singh’s honesty and integrity,” the traveler said. “I share this experience in recognition of Mr. Jaskaran Singh efforts and the fine folks who work at the STITA taxi company who responded to our crisis. Mr. Singh’s actions were truly commendable and turned our worst nightmare into an example of humanity at its finest.”

The Port of Seattle announced that the center runway of Seattle-Tac Airport will be closed for concrete panel replacement for 60 days this summer, beginning Monday, July 12 through Friday, Sept. 10th.

According to the Port of Seattle, the project is intended to replace deteriorating concrete surface panels on runway 16C/34C, in order to allow for continued safe operation of the runway until full reconstruction, which is slated in 2016. Approximately 150 panels will be replaced to address degradation such as cracking, spalling, and faulting which can result in concrete debris that can break loose and be hazardous to aircraft. This number represents less than four percent of the approximately 4,000 concrete panels that make up the center runway.

Runway 16C/34C was originally constructed in 1969, with a 20-year design life. The Port began a Runway Improvement Program in 1993 to rehabilitate and extend the useful life of the runway. More than 400 concrete panels have been replaced since the beginning of the program.

The Port claims that the cost of the project is anticipated to be completed at “less than the projected budget of $5.65 million due to lower construction bids,” according to a statement.

All air traffic will be directed to the outer two runways during the project, which means a likely increase in use of the third runway. Construction work will be done during daytime hours to reduce noise impacts to area neighborhoods during the evening.

During the closure, airport neighbors may notice increased noise associated with changes in runway use. Most departures are expected to be on the runway closest to the terminal and most arrivals on the third runway.

Finish work, such as striping and pavement sawing, is scheduled to occur during overnight hours up to two weeks after the runway reopens. This low impact finish work will not require daytime closure of the runway.

The runway closure will not affect airline flight schedules or passengers.

A second community meeting on Sea-Tac Airport noise has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29th from 7pm to 9pm at the State Criminal Justice Training Commission Auditorium in Burien (located at 19010 First Ave South), according to an announcement from Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-33).

Here’s the full text of Upthegrove’s announcement:

Dear Neighbors,

As you know, our August 19th Community Meeting on Airport Noise was attended by more people than the venue could accommodate. I know that many of you took time away from your families and other duties to attend this meeting and I apologize to everyone who was turned away. Please know that simply by showing up, you helped to demonstrate just how deeply this issue affects our community.

We have scheduled a follow-up meeting to accommodate those who were turned away last month. Please join me, along with Senator Karen Keiser, Representative Tina Orwall, Des Moines City Councilwoman Susan White, and King County Councilmember Julia Patterson, to discuss airport flight operations and noise mitigation programs.

While the state legislature and county and city governments have no direct authority over SeaTac Airport flight operations (where and when planes fly), we have heard from many of you with questions and concerns about increased noise since the third runway has gone into use. This meeting will be an opportunity to hear directly from the Noise Programs Manager at SeaTac Airport and to ask questions and share information and concerns.

Rep. Dave Upthegrove

Follow-up Community Meeting on Airport Noise

• Tuesday Evening, September 29th
• 7:00m to 9:00pm
• WA State Criminal Justice Training Commission Auditorium: 19010—1st Ave S, Burien

Some of the questions to be addressed:

• Who decides who gets money for noise insulation?
• Who is responsible for determining runway usage and flight patterns?
• How does current use of the Third Runway compare with previous projections?
• How has airplane noise changed in the last decade?
• How can community members monitor and track runway usage and flight operations?

Noise from airport operations significantly impacts our quality of life. The more informed we are about how flight decisions are made and how noise mitigation funding decisions are made, then the more effective we all can be advocating for the interests of our community.

Sincerely,
Dave Upthegrove
State Representative
33rd District
Chairman, House Ecology & Parks Committee

Webpage: http://hdc.leg.wa.gov/members/upthegrove/index.asp
Sign up for my E-memo: http://hdc.leg.wa.gov/members/upthegrove/ememo.asp
Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000

The Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) has also launched their own blog, which includes the latest updates – you can read it here.