Oakland International Airport Set to Begin Third Phase of Sound Insulation Program in Alameda
OAKLAND, CA, April 21, 2003 – Oakland International Airport and 100 city of Alameda homeowners today are finalizing the documents that will begin the third phase of the airport’s $15 to $20 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. Construction on the homes in the first phase of the program was completed in early 2002 while completion on Phase Two homes is expected by Summer 2003. Construction on Phase Three homes begins soon thereafter.
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 replaces 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. Phase One homes have achieved an even greater decrease in interior noise level with an average reduction of 8 decibels.
“The insulation improvements to the completed homes have exceeded our expectations,” 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 $15 to $20 million program is funded by a grant from the federally-monitored Airport Improvement Program (AIP), a program that provides funds for capital improvements at airports and is funded through taxes from passenger tickets and aviation fuel. Additional funding comes from the $3 passenger facility charge (PFC) levied on the tickets of all departing passengers.
Construction on the homes participating in the third phase of the program is expected to begin in late-Summer 2003, with construction taking about two weeks per home. The multi-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 insulation 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.”
Applications for participation in the Sound Insulation Program are still being accepted. C. Kell-Smith & Associates will be in touch with all eligible homeowners who are not yet participating.
Oakland International Airport, a revenue division of the Port of Oakland, served 12.7 million passengers and handled more than 600,000 metric tons of air cargo in 2002. Oakland International has 200 flights a day on 14 domestic and international carriers to 38 nonstop destinations, including Atlanta, the Hawaiian Islands, New York, Washington, D.C., Mexico and Costa Rica (service begins May 2003).
Oakland International consistently has the fewest weather-related flight delays in the Bay Area.
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. Travelers are reminded that the 98th Avenue corridor is open to both inbound and outbound traffic creating a fast, direct route to and from Interstate 880. Once at the airport, motorists can tune to 1700 AM for current traffic, parking and security information. For assistance with ground transportation and parking services, call 1-888-IFLYOAK (435-9625)
