In another victory for the Mineta San Jose International Airport, congressional leaders announced Thursday the airport is one of the first to receive nearly $1.5 million in federal funding to study improvements to airfield safety.
Last month lawmakers announced the airport, plagued by trespassers in recent months, will also receive more than $3.4 million to make its fences taller and sharper. That federal funding will pay for improving 8,600 feet of fencing at the airport’s north and south ends.
The new $1.5 million grant, administered by the Federal Aviation Administration, will fund a Runway Incursion Mitigation, which looks at ways to reduce the potential for unintended entry of passengers, vehicles or pedestrians on an active runway.
The study will begin in November and take two years.
The funding will also help pay for an Airfield Design Standards Analysis, officials said Thursday. Mineta International’s airfield layout was designed in the early-1960’s, and the study will look at how it handles the significant increase in activity with larger and heavier aircraft and whether design updates are needed.
“Our airfield was designed to standards from many years ago and the FAA has since updated those standards,” said airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes. “Now we’ll be one of the first airports to undergo this study to see what airfield changes, if any, need to be made here.”
Rep. Mike Honda, D-San Jose, said the federal investment in Silicon Valley’s Airport is essential in the months leading up to Super Bowl 50.
“Continuing to invest in our regional airport helps keep Silicon Valley as the capital of innovation, improves safety and efficiency, and boosts our local economy,” Honda said in a statement.
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_28829760/san-jose-airport-receive-1-5-grant-study