regulations, such as the existing Airport Appr oach (AA) Overlay district, and anyother such measures that are determined to be necessary.” • “Policy 3: The City of Medford shall consider the airport area (MATS sectors 10, 11, and 12) as a priority area for providing urban levels of public facilities and services.” The Comprehensive Plan goal and accom panying policies were reviewed and m odified as appropriate during the developm ent of the TSP. New goals, polic ies and im plem entation strategies are included in Chapter 13. In addition to local and regional policies related to air transportation, developm ent of the air transportation portion of the Medford TSP m ust also consider Oregon Adm inistrative Rules related to airport planning (OAR 660-013). These rules address the issues related to the on-going operation and vitality of Oregon’ s system of airports including the need to address land use planning in the vicinity of airports to reduce risks to aircraft operations and nearby land uses. Needs The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport is the area’s only provider of regularly -scheduled commercial airline service providing a national and intern ational connection for the region. The airport is also the focal point for regional air cargo activity and em ployment growth in the adjacent Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) and other business parks. The locati on of the airport is illustrated in Figure 3-4. The Rogue Valley International-M edford Airport M aster Plan serves as the prim ary guide to future developm ent of the airport. Com pleted in 2001, the Airport Master Plan includes planning assum ptions with respect to future com munity growth and busin ess activity , identifies future needs for air passenger, air cargo and general aviation activities, evaluates pot ential options to enhance the airport to m eet anticipated needs, and outlines recom mendations for a staged airport im provem ent program . Based on projected airport activity , the Jackson Count y Airport Authority plans to improve and expand several airport facilities including runway s, parking facilities and vehicle accessway s. These improvem ents will affect both internal airport circulation, as well as the surrounding transportation system . Improvem ent recom mendations are based on an assessm ent of future air passenger and air cargo demands that are largely driven by increased popul ation and econom ic activity both in Medford and throughout southern Oregon. A discussion of air port needs and deficiencies is presented below. Demand for Airport Services Key inform ation gleaned from the Airport Master Plan and used in the developm ent of this multi-m odal TSP includes forecasts of passenger enplanem ents (the number of passenger boardings for air carrier or scheduled airline service), forecasts of air cargo t onnage, and itinerant and local aircraft operations including both civil and m ilitary aircraft. Estim ates of em ployment growth in the developing Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) located adjacent to and east of the ex isting airport facility , have also been considered in evaluating both the dem and for on-site airport im provem ents and off-site airport access needs (this analy sis is focused on several key intersections in the vicinity of the airport). According to the Airport Master Plan , passenger enplanem ents are for ecast to increase substantially from the 1998 level of approxim ately 219,000 passengers. Several different fo recasting m ethods were used to determ ine the likely future dem and for air passenger service at the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport with the preferred m ethod being based on a pe r capita ratio that correlates growth in travel demand to the area’ s growing population and propensity to fly. The preferred forecast was prepared in five-y ear increm ents through 2020, with the outly ing year estim ated at 379,300 passengers or a 74 percent Medford Transportatio n System Plan 9-2 Air Transportation Plan

Transportation System Plan 2018-2038