Oakland International Airport Set To Begin Second Phase Of Sound Insulation Program In Alameda

OAKLAND, CA, November 26, 2001 — Oakland International Airport and 100 city of Alameda homeowners today are finalizing the documents that will begin the second phase of the airport’s $2 to $3 million sound insulation program.

Approximately 586 townhouses and 32 single-family homes on Alameda’s Bay Farm Island are eligible to participate in this voluntary program. Completion of construction on the homes in the first phase of the program is expected in December 2001.

The sound insulation program is a multi-phase program that replaces all windows and sliding glass doors with special acoustical, double-pane units; provides weather-stripping for exterior doors and replace hollow core doors; modifies fireplace openings and dampers; and provides fresh air makeup to the existing heating system. In exchange for these home improvements, homeowners are required to sign a limited noise easement and construction agreement. All construction materials comply with each homeowner’s association requirements.

In Fall 1999, four homeowners participated in a pilot sound insulation program to evaluate the effectiveness of the insulation with the goal to bring the homes into compliance with the State law’s requirement for interior noise levels of 45 decibels Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) or less. The pilot program was effective in reducing the interior noise levels of the homes by 5.5 decibels.

"The insulation improvements to the homes in the pilot program met the expectations of the homeowners and the airport," said Carole Wedl, noise management officer for Oakland International Airport. "The homeowners tell us there is a noticeable difference in their comfort and quality of life."

The $2 to $3 million program will be funded through passenger facility charges (PFCs), a user fee collected by the airlines on behalf of the U. S. government on every enplaning passenger at Oakland International Airport. The PFC collected at Oakland International is $3 per enplaned passenger. This project is one of many approved for PFC funding by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Actual construction on the homes participating in the second phase of the program begins in Spring 2002 with construction taking about two weeks per home. The six-phase program is expected to take six years to complete, with approximately 100 homes participating in each phase. Eligible homes are accepted into the program on a "first come, first served" basis.

The eligibility area, approved by the FAA, is based on the 65-decibel CNEL contour for Oakland International Airport for calendar year 1995. The area encompasses residences located south of Fir and Oleander Avenues. Residences in that area built after 1976 are not eligible for the program because of existing avigation easement agreements.

"The airport monitors daily the exterior noise levels in the communities neighboring the airport," added Wedl. "While the contour has decreased annually as aircraft have gotten quieter, we felt it was vital to our relationship with the community to soundproof these homes."

Final applications for participation in the remaining phases of the Sound Insulation Program are due back to the Project Manager’s office (C. Kell-Smith & Associates) by the week of November 26. Information packets were sent out to all eligible homeowners in early November.

Oakland International Airport served more than 10.6 million passengers and handled more than 700,000 metric tons of air cargo in 2000. Oakland has nearly 200 flights a day on 11 domestic and international carriers to 33 nonstop destinations, including the Hawaiian Islands, the New York area, Atlanta and Mexico. The airport is a revenue division of the Port of Oakland, an independent department of the city of Oakland.

Oakland International consistently has the best on-time record in the Bay Area, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is the only Bay Area airport with a dedicated shuttle bus that meets every Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system train at the nearby Coliseum station. On-airport parking rates are $18/day in the long-term (Daily) lot and $15/day in the economy/overflow lots.