Editorial Assistant
A roughly two-year debate between Long Beach Airport (LGB) officials, the community and the City ended last week when a proposal that would allow the air terminal to offer international flights was laid to rest.
But, it looks as though the airport has another issue on its hands— and this one’s a little more down-to-earth.
Although not as polarizing, a public discussion on Wednesday at the Long Beach Gas and Oil Department about the airport’s ground-transportation program revealed that transportation network companies (TNCs) and licensed transit providers are very mixed about a new pilot program that would expand the use of transportation services.
The LGB enlisted the services of Frasca & Associates (F&A), a transportation consulting and financial advisory firm, to conduct a study that would review the airport’s ground-transportation fee structure, policies, procedures and practices to introduce a pilot program that would accommodate TNCs, such as Uber and Lyft, and provide expanded ground-transportation options to LGB passengers at drop-off and pick-up zones, according to Matt Townsend, director of F&A who led the presentation of the study on Wednesday.
Currently, the LGB does not allow the use of TNCs for drop-off and pick-up services at the designated pick-up zones.
The TNC pilot program aims to be competitive with other benchmark airports, specifically those located in Los Angeles County. For the purpose of the study, Townsend said the F&A discovered that, as of Jan. 17, 2017, all main airports, with the exception of Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) and Ontario California International Airport (ONT)— although admittedly not local— allow TNC services.
Townsend said ONT has announced its intention to begin TNC operations starting in April of this year, however.
He explained that airports use a variety of fee structures to charge certain rates for TNC operators to cover the costs of using curbsides and the processing of permits. Some charges include one-time application fees, transponder and other equipment fees, and curbside dwell-time fees.
This also includes hybrid-fixed fee structures, which are a combination of annual permits and per-trip fees.
Townsend said the TNC pilot program will launch April 1 with a per-trip fee of $3 for the operators. The pilot program is aimed to evaluate usage, operational issues and the potential need for a hold lot for any vehicles.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”https://signal-tribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Transportation-1.jpg” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”Jess Romo, director of Long Beach Airport, addressed some of the concerns some licensed ground-transportation operators had at a public meeting on Wednesday at the Long Beach Gas and Oil Department about a pilot program that would allow the use of transportation-network companies such as Uber and Lyft.” captionposition=”right” revealfx=”off”] LGB will use ground-transportation management (GTM) technology to charge TNC operators. He said the system would work like an automative toll machine and charge drivers when the transponder detects the vehicle. All licensed drivers will be charged from a specific balance account, similar to the FasTrack electronic toll-collection system found on most California highways.
The pilot program will assess infrastructures needs and revenue impacts, and LGB and F&A will approach the Long Beach City Council some time in October to discuss proposed next steps, according to Townsend.
During the public-comment period, both the general manager and senior manager of Uber and Lyft in Southern California and the San Fransisco Bay area— Megan Prichard and Kirk Safford, respectively— also provided public remarks about their companies and the potential benefits that may arise as a result of the pilot program.
As alluded to, this didn’t bode well for other licensed transportation-service officials, who operate vehicles such as limousines and taxis. They had a concern about enlisting TNC drivers who don’t have background checks.
Randy Tooker, who owns Lake Forest Limousines based in San Clemente, inquired about TNC drivers meeting certain requirements, such as background checks and insurance, requirements Tooker said he needs to meet as a limo driver, or he’s at risk of getting fined or getting his vehicle impounded. His concern was that TNCs would simply be able to operate without meeting those same standards.
“In order for us to make it, and for all of us to make it, we’ve got to be on the same playing field,” he said. “We’ve got to be regulated equally because some of us want to work […] Regulate us all the same so competition is healthy.”
Townsend simply responded by saying that LGB has made it a goal over the next six months to see how operations are going to shape up.
Carly Jimenez, who is a Lyft operator, addressed some of the concerns and said she is required to go through a background check and register her fingerprints to work for the company.
However, one man in the audience inquired about the volume of traffic that could clog up curbsides with the addition of TNCs.
Jess Romo, director of LGB, stepped in and said that the pilot program is meant to see the effects of traffic and infrastructure in a short-term capacity, which would then allow room for any changes if things get out of hand.
The public-comment period is open through Feb. 10, and inquiries may be submitted to lgbarpt@longbeach.gov. The study will be finalized to incorporate public comments in March, according to Townsend.
