I read “Sea-Tac must modernize to meet the needs of a growing region” with great interest.
As a transplant to Seattle and frequent flyer, I completely concur with the negative opinions of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and fully support the planned improvements (not to mention the rebrand to “SEA”).
However, there is a huge problem that none of the improvements is addressing. The improvements perversely make this problem worse: accessing the airport. Unlike San Francisco International Airport to the south, Sea-Tac does not have a “bypass” lane for passengers flying Delta or Singapore. We must all endure the backup cased by 50%-plus of cars dropping off passengers for Alaska. More gates mean more flights, more flights mean more passengers, more passengers mean an even longer backup unless Departures Drive is reconfigured.
If LaGuardia Airport was completely renovated without closing, surely the Port of Seattle can figure out how to use the existing space to add a bypass.
Xavier Barrera, Seattle
