Heliport Feasibility and Siting Study
Transcript of Heliport Feasibility and Siting Study
Heliport Feasibility and Siting Study
Presented by
Kent Penney, Airport Systems Director
Aviation Department
Pre Council Meeting
May 18, 2010
Presented by
Lisa Pyles, URS
Why a Heliport in the Downtown Area?
• Door-Step to Door-Step time (point-to-point)
• Downtown Fort Worth is the Western Economic/Business Center of the DFW Metroplex
• Helicopters move high value goods, services and people
• Existing airports are too far in time from Downtown Fort Worth
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Activities To Date
• Background
– URS was selected by the Aviation Department in 2008 to do various Aviation Planning projects
– URS selected for Heliport Feasibility and Siting Study by City Council M&C C-23868, 10-20-2009
• Stakeholders Group
– 3 Meetings of the Stakeholders Group were conducted
to receive input through the Feasibility & Siting Process
• Neighborhood Groups
– 1 meeting was conducted to inform the neighborhood closest to the highest rated site (United Riverside)
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Stakeholders Group� William Boecker, President/CEO, Fine Line Diversified Development
� Johnny Campbell, Chairman of the Board, Convention & Visitors Bureau/Sundance Square
� Guy del Giudice, Chief Pilot, CareFlite
� Brian Dunaway, President, Epic Helicopters, LLC
� Jim Dunaway, President, JRD Group, Inc.
� Jim Godfrey, Board Member, Aviation Advisory Board
� Randle Harwood, TRV Project Manager, City of Fort Worth
� Alex Jimenez, Board Member, Aviation Advisory Board
� Ruseena Johnson,Capital Program Specialist, City of Fort Worth
� Randy Means, Board Member, Aviation Advisory Board
� Jay Paschke, Chief Pilot, Fort Worth Police
� Brinton Payne, Director Government Affairs and Urban Development, Chamber of Commerce-Ft Worth
� Kent Penney, Airport Systems Director, City of Fort Worth
� Doug Rademaker, Program Management, City of Fort Worth
� Jack Sosebee, Director of Transport Services, Cook Children's Medical Center
� Andy Taft, Director of Downtown Development/TIF District, Downtown Ft. Worth, Inc.
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Fort Worth Heliport Study - Outline
• What is a Heliport?– a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters; typically
contains one or more helipads and may have services such as fuel, maintenance facilities, hangars or ground transportation
• Existing Heliports
• Validation of Need
• Site Evaluation and Preferred Site
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Downtown Dallas Vertiport – 1994
•Owned by City of Dallas
•2 landing pads
•5 parking spaces
•No fuel available
•No maintenance available
•Open 7 days a week - 7:00 am to 10:00 pm
•Operations – 50 per month
Garland Heloplex – 1991
•Owned by City of Garland
•Fuel and minor maintenance available
•Attended 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Mon-Sat;
Sun 9:00am to 5:00pm
•Operations – 100 per day
Area Heliports
Validation of Need• NCTCOG Year 2000 Heliport System Plan – 1983
� Recommended 4 area locations (Downtown Dallas, Downtown Fort Worth,
North Dallas/ Addison, Las Colinas)
• Analysis of FAA Data
� 423 Helicopters registered in 8 county DFW Metroplex (2009)
� 26% of helicopter operations in Texas are in the DFW Metroplex
• URS/City of Fort Worth Survey
� 75% would use a downtown heliport
� 35% would use it more than 10 operations a month
� Types of Uses
38% Corp/Exec 19% Aerial Surveying 16% Sight-seeing
13% Air Taxi 11% Pilot Training
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Conclusion: Significant Demand Exists
• COG 1983 Study first identified need
• Population, congestion, and income levels have increased
since 1983
• Fort Worth is the 17th largest city in US and still growing
• Majority of survey respondents favor facility
• Greater percentage would use it >10 times per month
• Helicopter use viability depends on point to point travel
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Site Assessment - Evaluation Criteria
• Highest Weighting
– Navigable Airspace
– Emergency Access
– Community Overflight
• Medium Weighting
– Proximity to Business Centers
– General Land Use Compatibility
• Lowest Weighting
– Availability, suitability and Interface with Surface Transportation
– General Site Considerations
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Seven Areas Assessed
A : Forest Park
B: University Dr
C: Purina Plant
D: White
Settlement Rd
E: ITC Site
F: E35 / S121
G: Forest Park/
Rosedale
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Interference with Approach
to Runway 34 at Meacham
4 Areas Eliminated:
Area A – Forest Park
Area B – N. University Dr.
Area D – White Settlement Rd.
Area G – Forest Park and Rosedale
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Area C Area C –– Purina Plant Purina Plant –– Score 42Score 42
No Emergency Vehicle Access; Vehicle access via 1st St; RR Crossings on East and West Sides, Cell
Tower North End of the Area13
Area E Area E –– Intermodal Trans Center Intermodal Trans Center –– Score 53Score 53
Limited Auto and Emergency Vehicle Access; No Airspace Issues, Minimal Community Overflight
Issues; Site Constrained by Rail on both East and West14
Area F Area F –– East IHEast IH--35 / South 121 35 / South 121 –– Score 63Score 63
Good Auto and Emergency Vehicle Access; No Navigable Airspace Issues; Minimal Community
Overflight Issues 15
Noise Contours for Area F
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Next Steps
• Establish Informational Website for the Study at
www.fortworthgov.org/aviation
• Conduct Public Forum providing information on
the Top 3 sites (May/June)
• Report to City Council results of Public Forum
and Outreach
• Negotiate Design Contracts
• Council Consideration of Contracts in (June/July)
• Facility Operational by February 2011
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Questions/Comments/Conclusion
Heliport Feasibility and Siting Study
4th Street
Qtran Corporation
Purina Plant
Area C Area C –– Purina Plant Purina Plant –– Score 42Score 42
No Emergency Vehicle Access; Vehicle access via 1st St; RR Crossings on East and West Sides, Cell
Tower North End of the Area
Area E Area E –– Intermodal Trans Center Intermodal Trans Center –– Score 53Score 53
Limited Auto and Emergency Vehicle Access; No Airspace Issues, Minimal Community Overflight
Issues; Site Constrained by Rail on both East and West
Harmon Field Park
Greenway Park
Area F Area F –– East IHEast IH--35 / South 121 35 / South 121 –– Score 63Score 63
Good Auto and Emergency Vehicle Access; No Navigable Airspace Issues; Minimal Community
Overflight Issues
Area F – East 35W South 121
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Indianapolis Downtown Heliport – 1978
Office and hangar facilities
Self-serve fuel
Minor maintenance available
Operations – 25 per day
New Orleans Downtown Heliport – 1997
Attended 24 hours per day
Fuel available
No maintenance
Operations – 9 per day
Portland Downtown Heliport – 1989
Owned by City of Portland
Unattended
No fuel or maintenance available
Operations – 14 per day
Other City Heliports in US