Buffalo Niagara International (KBUF): Airport plan aims for the sky.

By Robert J. McCarthy

Published: February 11, 2012, 10:31 PM

Updated: February 11, 2012, 11:48 PM

You wouldn't think a shrinking population and a stagnant economy would make a case for major investments at Buffalo Niagara International Airport any time soon.

But the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority -- which runs the airport -- is nevertheless finalizing a 20-year master plan to spend $406 million on major upgrades for the terminal, parking and airfield.

That's because just across the Niagara River, the population, the economy and the demand for air travel continue to grow. And as Buffalo Niagara's convenience and lower costs attract more travelers from the Toronto megalopolis, airport planners predict steady growth at the Cheektowaga facility.

The NFTA and its consultants now envision about 8 million travelers per year by 2030 -- a major spurt from 5.4 million in 2011. An overflow of Ontario license plates in the airport parking lots tells the story -- 8 percent were Canadian in 1997, compared with 40 percent today.

"That's our potential," said William R. Vanecek, the NFTA's director of aviation. "In Western New York, we anticipate the population will shrink. But we're positioning ourselves to serve not only Western New York, but Southern Ontario, too."

"It's that great big country to the north," he added. "They just keep coming down."

Major components of the airport's 20-year master plan include:

• Parking capacity would grow from the current 6,800 vehicles to about 10,500 -- some of it to be completed next year.
• A long-discussed overpass from the terminus of the Kensington Expressway, providing direct access to the airport.
• New entryways to improve foot traffic inside the terminal from the current ticketing area to flight gates.
• An expanded baggage-retrieval area with modern "slope plate" carousels, replacing the current flatbed system.
• The addition of three new gates, with plans for more if needed.
• New taxiways to reduce the need for small aircraft to cross runways, as well as relocated emergency and maintenance facilities and an upgraded runway approach near the Thruway.
• Continued noise abatement efforts.

The price tag is enormous -- approaching the $585 million the NFTA spent on construction of Metro Rail almost three decades ago. But planners see the Federal Aviation Administration assuming about $184 million of the expansion costs, with the NFTA picking up about $138 million, New York State about $31 million and other sources about $53 million.

None of the money is guaranteed, Vanecek stressed. He said the authority will approach the FAA and the state Department of Transportation incrementally, as needs develop over the course of the 20-year master plan. And the authority must compete with applications from other airports for a limited pot of funds.

"All of these projects are a plan, but they are not guaranteed 100 percent," he said. "This would happen in a perfect world."

Still, the NFTA and the McFarland Johnson airport consulting firm believe their projections are on target, Vanecek said, and that the applications will receive serious consideration throughout the coming years.
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'A binational airport'

Aside from required public hearings that drew few attendees, the first master plan update since 2002 has generated little public attention. Even Andrew J. Rudnick, president of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, was unaware of such a major project in the community's future.

Still, Rudnick called the news exciting for a facility that already represents one of the area's major selling points. And he emphasized the plan is generated by the market, not "some artificial infusion of resources."

"When you think of this airport, it's not really a U.S. airport, but a binational airport," he said. "That binational marketplace is expanding, and the airport marketing plan is taking full advantage."

Sensible and cost-effective expansion results from the foresight of former NFTA Chairmen Robert D. Gioia and the late Luiz F. Kahl, Rudnick said. They oversaw the 1997 construction of a $56 million terminal designed for gradual increases, he said, as well as a marketing plan that attracted low-cost airlines and Canadian travelers.

Canadians are crossing the border in such numbers that the 5 million passenger mark, originally projected for 2015, was surpassed several years ago. It all hinges, travel experts said, on three factors: convenience, elimination of customs hassle and -- most importantly -- lower costs.

"It's cheaper," said Roland Reusch, president of Trade Winds Travel in Blasdell. "Several years ago, you were looking at around 60 cents [exchange] on a dollar; now it's even. And if you are looking at a Toronto to Florida flight," he said, "the air fare is taxed at 20 to 30 percent. Buffalo to Florida is about 10 percent."

Canadians also favor easy-to-use Buffalo Niagara, compared with the three-terminal behemoth of Pearson International in Toronto, Reusch said.

"I give kudos to Buffalo," he said. "They built it in a way so it could be enlarged with the least amount of inconvenience and time."

12,000 parking spaces

In addition, Canadians are lured to Cheektowaga by clearing customs once at the Peace Bridge, rather than enduring the entire baggage and customs process again while changing for some flights that originated in Canada, Reusch said.

Under the new plan, more parking solves some of the most pressing needs at Buffalo Niagara. Initial plans call for spending about $8 million for a 1,100 vehicle lot off Holtz Drive in the shadow of the airport control tower, to be completed in late 2013. It will help alleviate the spring break parking crunch travelers face each year.

The new master plan also calls for additional covered parking in front of the current garage for 2017, bringing the airport on par with other upstate facilities such as Albany, Rochester and Syracuse. Covered parking in the ultimate plan is forecast to grow from about 375 spots to 4,400.

The current garage, often criticized for blocking views of the terminal building, will not go higher, Vanecek said, though he said the top deck may be covered.

"When you live in a town like Buffalo, and you get a lot of snow, a lot of folks want covered parking," Vanecek said. "Rochester, Syracuse and Albany have much more than we do."

When off-site lots are factored in, planners see about 12,000 spaces available by 2030.

Parking expansion represents most of the NFTA's costs, and it will be financed by the authority's bonding ability.

Another major component of the plan will be an overpass ramp from the terminus of the Kensington Expressway to the airport -- which has been discussed by transportation planners for more than 25 years.

"Right now, out there at 5 p.m., it has really reached capacity," Vanecek said, adding the project will prove costly -- about $13.6 million, including a redesigned internal roadway system.

Passengers will also notice major changes inside the terminal, with expansion forecast on both sides of the main building. But instead of one central passageway leading to boarding areas, plans call for two passageways to relieve congestion, Vanecek said.

"Now, it's unusual for waiting time to be more than 20 minutes," Vanecek said of the security check-in process. "But we want to be ahead of the curve and plan."

Baggage will also be affected, with the eastward addition of one carousel and upgrading to the "slope plate" facilities now seen in large airports.

"We've gone from 3 million passengers to 5.5 million passengers, and at certain times of the week we have a huge amount of congestion down there," he said. "We have to find a way to expand."

Runway improvements

The process of planning, competing for funds and construction will prove fairly constant in the coming years, Vanecek said.

"The big nut is the terminal upgrade at about $17 million," he said, which will be funded mostly through federal entitlement money based on rising passenger levels.

The project also will include major operational improvements on the "air side" of the facility. A parallel taxiway on the east side of Runway 14-32 is planned, as is additional taxiway capacity to and from the cargo ramp.

"Right now, [aircraft] have to make three runway crossings," Vanecek said of plans for only one runway crossing for smaller planes. "It's not unsafe. But if you want to improve safety, the fewer runway crossings, the better."

Building up the runway approach near the Thruway will allow for an upgraded instrument landing system to reduce the possibility of diverted flights, because landing "ceilings" will be significantly improved, he said. The project involves a significant amount of earth moving, as crews expand the area near the Thruway to support new equipment.

Buildings at 251 Cayuga Road now used for maintenance, plows and lawn-mowing equipment will be demolished and the land opened for development, Vanecek said, with new maintenance and firefighting facilities to be constructed.

Obtaining federal and state money will continue to prove a challenge throughout the process, Vanecek said, but the passenger levels forecast justify the expenditures.

"Today, if we had the financial wherewithal and knew with 100 percent certainty the passenger levels will stay, we could start," he said. "But we could be underforecasting, and we could be overforecasting. So we have to go forward in a very prudent manner."

Another major component of the plan embraces the latest environmental practices, according to NFTA Executive Director Kimberley A. Minkel. Buffalo Niagara has developed a "sustainable" master plan -- one of only a handful in the nation, she said.

Provisions are made for treating runoff from de-icing, using storm runoff for watering purposes, expanded use of solar energy and recycling.

"From start to finish, we're looking to see how we can reduce or eliminate our carbon footprint," Minkel said. "There are a lot things we can do that won't cost a lot but will have a tremendous impact."

NFTA planners think they're adopting the right approach. All trends point to increasing passenger totals  -- especially Canadian -- at Buffalo Niagara. While tightened border restrictions or a major economic upheaval could alter projections, Vanecek believes they will hold.

"It will be driven by [8 million passengers]," he said. "If the forecasts don't come to fruition, we don't do the projects."

The NFTA expects final word on FAA approval for the plan will arrive this spring.

Source:  http://www.buffalonews.com