The Port of Seattle announced Monday (Aug. 9) that South 160th St., between Air Cargo Rd. and International Blvd. (SR-99), will be closed to eastbound traffic during working hours (7am – 4pm) now through mid-September.

All eastbound traffic will be detoured to S 170th St. During non-working hours one lane in each direction will be open to traffic.

Exit from Airport Garage Rerouted; New Route Gives Drivers Access to the Exit to S. 170th Street

Drivers leaving the garage make an immediate right to enter the northbound Airport Expressway. This route gives drivers access to the exit to South 170th Street, which connects to both Air Cargo Road and International Boulevard (SR 99).

Drivers should use extra caution exiting the toll plaza, drive slowly and pay close attention to signage on the new route.

The exit ramp to Air Cargo Road on the southbound approach to the Airport terminal has closed. A new exit ramp is open on the opposite side (on the left) of the expressway, giving travelers access to the Cell Phone Waiting Lot, Overheight Parking, South 170th Street and Air Cargo Road . Drivers should pay particular attention to signage directing them to the new exit only lane on the left.

South 160th St., between Air Cargo Rd. and International Blvd. (SR-99), will be closed to eastbound traffic during working hours (7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) now through mid-September. All eastbound traffic will be detoured to S 170th St. During non-working hours one lane in each direction will be open to traffic.

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The Port of Seattle has signed a new contract with Yellow Cab company after the Washington Supreme Court rejected an appeal on an earlier ruling by the State Appeals Court.

The new contract will not take effect until at least October 31, as the Port has extended the current agreement with the Seattle-Tacoma International Taxicab Association (STITA) two months because of the pending legal cases.

People needing to hire a cab from the airport until Nov. 1 will still use the familiar STITA cabs, STITA officials said, until the new Yellow Cab contract takes affect.

However, STITA says it has other matters to take before courts that it hopes will prevent Yellow from taking over the cab service at the airport.

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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.”

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Our friends at the Highline Historical Society (we’re members, are you? Join here) are looking for people who worked at Sea-Tac Airport or for an airline or airport vendor between 1930 and 2000.

If you have a story to tell about your time spent at the airport, or if you have personal mementos such as photos, uniforms, ephemera (contracts, tickets, advertisements, schedules, etc.), or even home movies taken at the airport, the Historical Society would like to hear from you.

The Society can make careful copies of photos and documents and return the originals to the owner in pristine, museum-quality conditions.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of preserving the history of Sea-Tac Airport, and of documenting its impact on the communities of Highline. Donors of memories and memorabilia will be entered in a drawing to win a dinner for two at Mick Kelley’s Irish Pub in Burien.

If you can help out, please contact the Society today by calling 206-246-6354, or by e-mailing editor@highlinehistory.org.

Here’s a great photo courtesy the historical society, of Opening Day of Sea-Tac International Airport, taken in July, 1949 (more great photos here):

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The Port of Seattle announced Monday (July 12) that, due to requests received at the last workshop, they’re holding a technical session on the “Part 150″ airport noise study on Thursday, July 29th from 12:30pm – 1:30pm at Sea-Tac Airport.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Port of Seattle “Part 150″ Technical Session.

WHEN: Thursday, July 29th from 12:30pm – 1:30pm.

WHERE: Sea-Tac Airport’s Office Building’s Beijing Conference Room on the mezzanine level.

INFO: To download the session agenda, click here (PDF file).

From a press release:

In response to requests at the last Part 150 Noise Compatibility Public Workshop, a technical session regarding detailed noise modeling and input data topics will be held on July 29 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at Sea-Tac Airport. Led by Vince Mestre, the Part 150′s noise analyst task leader, the meeting will be held in the Airport Office Building’s Beijing Conference Room on the mezzanine level.

Participants at the session will have the opportunity to discuss the mathematics and detailed data used to measure as well as model aircraft noise levels in the vicinity of Sea-Tac Airport. Participants will also discuss sound propagation effects associated with different types of meteorology. The discussions will be informal and focus on questions raised by the participants.

The comprehensive report from the June 9th public workshop is now available at Sea-Tac Airport’s Part 150 Web site.

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by Jack Mayne

The Port of Seattle has been accused by a taxicab company of violating the state open meeting act and seeks to have the Port restrained from signing a contract with Yellow Cab for exclusive cab service from the airport.

The legal dispute over the taxi contract for travelers arriving at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport could make finding a taxicab impossible after the August 31 end of the current contract. The Port of Seattle and the Seattle Tacoma International Taxi Association, better known as STITA, say some sort of service will be found but no discussions have been held with any cab provider, say spokesmen for both sides.

Court orders sought by STITA and other cab companies have prevented the Port from signing a new contract with Yellow Cab as recommended by the Port staff. For 20 years, STITA has held the contract to provide all taxi service leaving the airport, but the Port was stung last year by a state auditor’s report dinging the Port for not making enough money on the contract.

The Port and STITA say there were no discussions about increasing income to the Port. Instead, for the first time last year, the Port issued requests for proposals, which resulted in Port staff recommending the contract be awarded to Yellow Cab.

STITA and other area cab companies have gone to court to stop Yellow from getting the contract, claiming various problems with the way the bid were evaluated.

In the latest filing, STITA is asking for the court to issue an injunction restraining the Port from signing a new contract with Yellow Cab because it violated the open meetings act by adopting changes in the provisions of the contract in a closed door meeting and without giving bidders notice of those changes. The changes should have been discussed in a public and open meeting, says attorney Michael A. Goldfarb on behalf of client STITA.

“Everything points to the Port of Seattle to go back to the drawing board, and clean up this mess,” says Jesse Buttar, a STITA spokesman. “We’re not asking for them to give us the contract, but to give us a level playing field. This has been stacked against STITA from the beginning.”

STITA says it also plans to appeal another case to the State Supreme Court to continue an injunction preventing the port from signing the Yellow Taxi contract. If the Court starts its summer recess before acting on the appeal, the injunction against a new contract could result in no contract for cab service being in place after the current one expires.

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE ON THE B-TOWN BLOG:

• STITA Cab Challenges Yellow Taxi Lobbyist Over Role In Taxi Contract
• Court Ruling Prevents Port Of Seattle From Signing Taxi Contract. For Now.
• Taxicab Companies Request State Investigation Into Port Of Seattle
• Port Of Seattle Being Sued By Second Taxi Company
• UPDATE: After Brief Denial, STITA Cab Wins Stay Against Port Of Seattle
• STITA Taxi Files Lawsuit Against Port Of Seattle For Breaking Contract

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The Port of Seattle announced this week that it will be offering a 50% parking discount for Mariners fans who want to park and take Link Light Rail to Safeco Field during the team’s initial homestand, which begins Monday, April 12.

Fans can park on the fourth floor of the airport garage for a discounted $2 per hour, then walk to the rail stop, beginning as early as Monday’s (April 12) home opener. The bargain rate begins two hours before game time, and lasts up to eight hours.

The cost for round trip fare from the SeaTac/Airport station on Link Light Rail to the Stadium station is $5.

The Port says that fans “will automatically be credited at the special rate when you exit the airport parking garage,” but we’re not sure how that works.

The special parking rate is valid for the Mariner’s first homestand, which runs from Monday April 12 to Wednesday, April 21:

• April 12 3:40 p.m.
• April 13 7:10 p.m.
• April 14 7:10 p.m.
• April 16 7:10 p.m.
• April 17 6:10 p.m.
• April 18 1:10 p.m.
• April 19 7:10 p.m.
• April 20 7:10 p.m.
• April 21 7:10 p.m.

For more information, visit the Port’s website here.

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From the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs, we received this letter (posted also on their blog) regarding Wednesday night’s (Feb. 24th) “Part 150″ airport noise workshop put on by the Port of Seattle:

Congratulations to those who attended last night’s kick-off workshop for Sea-Tac Airport’s Part 150 study!

Despite a restrictive format, the public delivered a loud & clear message spelling out major issues that concern us all.

After an initial presentation, the attendees (estimated at about 200) crowded around the whiteboards in 15 break-out groups.

We heard over & over that the attendees do not believe that the FAA’s 65 DNL noise assessment has anything to do with noise as it is actually experienced.

We heard over & over that single-event noise –not averages — is what intrudes on people’s lives.

Sharp questions were raised about the five-year planning horizon: the study needs to look long-term.

And what will the Airport look like, what will it sound like, at its maximum?

At the concluding, wrap-up session, there was widespread spontaneous applause for comments that the region needs two more airports, & for the suggestion that if the present noise cannot be fixed, the airport should be moved.

Less-controversial comments included pleas for more noise insulation, more buy-outs, more sellers’ assistance programs.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us your "Letter to the Editor" by clicking here. Be sure to include your real name and a way to contact you, and, pending our review, we'll most likely post it. Otherwise, feel free to leave a Comment below...]

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In the continuing saga of STITA vs the Port of Seattle, on Monday (Feb. 22nd), the Washington state Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the cab company by granting a temporary injunction against the Port of Seattle’s planned contract with Yellow Cab/Puget Sound Dispatch.

This means the Port cannot sign the planned contract “until further order of the Court” (click here to download/read the order as a PDF file), which could happen in April.

STITA’s request to expedite the appeal was granted by Commissioner Mary Neel. The Commissioner’s order states that this case will be heard by a three-judge panel “toward the end of the April 2010 term,” meaning that this ongoing SeaTac soap opera is far from over.

Members of STITA, who filed the original lawsuit against the Port of Seattle on Jan. 29, were obviously pleased with the decision.

“We are thrilled that the court stopped the Port from proceeding with an illegal contract,” said Jesse Buttar, a STITA member and spokesperson. “We’ve only ever asked for a fair process and a legal contract and now we hope the Port has finally listened and will re-do its flawed bidding process.”

Here’s more info from STITA’s press release, issued late Monday afternoon:

STITA, a non-profit co-op with one of the greenest cab fleet in the country, was created in 1989 by the Port of Seattle to exclusively serve the airport and provide reliable service to airport users. Now, after an unfair proposal process, STITA and its approximately 450 members and drivers will essentially be put out of business. They have the airport contract through August 2010.

STITA’s lawsuit claims that the Port’s bidding process violated state law by requiring bidders to commit to pay an unfair concession fee of at least 10 percent of their airport-based revenues to the Port. This revenue system violates the Airports Act, which says airport concession fees must be based upon the actual cost of operations and be reasonable and uniform. Previously, the Port had charged a per-trip fee to taxis based on the airport’s actual cost of services provided to the cabbies.

Additionally, the lawsuit contends that the Port’s new concession fees violate the King County Code and takes away from the King County Council’s authority to set “just and reasonable” taxi meter rates.

Despite protests from STITA to the Port about these glaring problems with the process and the proposed contract, the Port has so far declined to re-do its flawed contract bid.

A second lawsuit against the Port and Yellow Cab by Farwest Taxi was filed on Feb. 12.

Read our sister site The B-Town Blog’s previous coverage of this ongoing legal battle here.

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As the owner of Shuttle Express, a provider of passenger service at Sea-Tac International Airport, I have been following the Port of Seattle’s recent decision to replace STITA (Sea-Tac International Taxi Association) with Yellow Cab. How could the Port make such a poor decision and why? Even though I compete with the taxis, I feel the need to speak up. When there is such an injustice to the traveling public, questions need to be asked.

Working at Sea-Tac for 35 years, I have firsthand knowledge of airport operations and STITA Taxi. Knowing STITA’s reputation, I thought they would surely be chosen for the new contract for the taxi concession. I was astonished to hear the Port’s decision. The structure of the RFP caused a bidding war, and the Port plans to award the contract to the highest bidder, Yellow Cab. How could they base their decision purely on money and not reputation and quality of service?

Shuttle Express and STITA operate within a few feet of each other so I know their operations and service level. STITA taxi owners maintain their vehicles and have invested in a green fleet, all while making a living wage. And, STITA provides good service, much better than any other taxi service in Seattle.

As a competitor, it would be to my advantage to say nothing and compete against a lesser provider. But I can’t watch this play out without saying something about the Port’s injustice to STITA, and more importantly to you, the traveling public. I have no issue with the Port opening the concession to competitive bid, but its selection based on who will pay the most money rather than service and safety is wrong.

Jim Sherrell is the Owner of Shuttle Express.

More money for the Port may sound good, but in reality the over-inflated fees that Yellow agreed to pay the Port are way off base. There is no way Yellow can use the minuscule taxi fees to fund reservations, dispatch, accounting, marketing, safe vehicles, insurance, advertising AND also pay the Port an exorbitant fee to use the taxi curb. What expenses will the Yellow taxi drivers have to cut to still be able to put bread on the table? Will you feel safe when you climb into that taxi knowing they cannot meet their financial obligations and still make a living?

So why would the Port prioritize getting more money above safety, service and other important factors? What seems obvious is the Port wants more money. Who is eventually going to pay the Port more money? Sure, first it will be the poor taxi drivers. Next, the taxi drivers will ask regulators to allow increased fees. In the end, YOU, the traveling public will be paying the difference with higher taxi fares.

Now ask yourself, is the Port operating in the interest of the traveling public, or is it merely trying to squeeze more money from taxi drivers and you, the passengers?

Will the publicly elected Port of Seattle Commissioners recognize this flawed RFP bid for what it is and correct this radical mistake? My experience during the last thirty-plus years tells me that when the Port Commissioners know the facts and hear from their voters, they will make the correct decision to award the RFP fairly, based on service and safety for the traveling public rather than strictly money from fees.

It’s up to you, the traveling public, to let the Commissioners know your feelings on the issue to have it corrected: www.portseattle.org.

- Jim Sherrell
Owner, Shuttle Express

(Jim Sherrell is the owner of Shuttle Express, serving the Seattle region since 1979)

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Have something you'd like to say? Then email us your "Letter to the Editor" by clicking here. Be sure to include your real name and a way to contact you, and, pending our review, we'll most likely post it. Otherwise, feel free to leave a Comment below...]

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