Evening star., 1933-05-31
AIRPORT ON ISLAND
PLANNED ON COAST
San Francisco and Other
Nearby Cities to Have
Unusual Facilities.
epecial Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 3l-When
formal ceremonies mark the commence
ment, of work on the $75,000,000 San
Francisco-Oakland Bay bridge, to be
one of the wonders of the modern
world. second step will at the same
time be taken toward bringing to reali-
zation an airplane landing field that
will be unique among airports OF the
nation from the standpoint OF accessl-
bility to a group of populous cities.
The first step was taken when the
State Legislature granted to San Fran
cisco q shoals area Of about 100 acres
, Just north of Yerba Burma Islands.
This island is to be link in the bay
bridge and the scene a month hence OF
ground breaking ceremonies.
The airport project thus far has been
pushed principally by the Junior Cham
Der of Commerce of this city, which
foresees the time when the present bay
district airports will be either too
crowded or recognized as not close
enough to centers of population. The
shoals area. now just part of the bay,
upon completion of the bridge will be
only IS minutes from the downtown
districts of not only San Francisco,
Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and
Alameda.
And passengers will be able to get to
the island by any form Of transporta-
ton. for the bridge will provide train
service, lanes for all types OF motor
traffic and even sidewalks.
Tentative plans call for filling in
from 400 to 500 acres, now under water
from three to 20 feet. This would pro-
vide an air terminal with a minimum
length of $500 feet and width Of 500
oil c{doc for the
island, where the gliding angle would
be 10 to !.
Though close to population centers
of the bay district, it would offer no
air distractions and its use as an air.
port would not be a hazard or nuisance
to the populations it would serve.
The location, according to research
done by its hackers. is the best in the
entire bay district from the standpoint
Of wind and fog.
It is estimated the field can be con-
ing the building of a sea wal and the
filling. The filling would be done
by pumping from dredging operations
in ship lanes or by utilizing unneeded
parts of the shoals area and might be
helped by tunneling and grading to be
done on the island for the bay bridge.
The Navy, which has title to and uses
the island, would be asked Tor road
way to the terminal, and would in turn
benefit by having a dock and landing
place for its seaplanes. The Navy has
tentatively approved the use Of the
shoals area as an air terminal.
Just when the central landing field
will be constructed is not determined
The city Is looking ahead to care for
an expanded aviation industry. The
bay district is served now principally
by two widely separated fields, one
south of San Francisco and the other
In Alameda County Neither Il suit
ably located as central terminal for
the whole area, which provides for the
airways about 10000 passengers a
month, 10000 pounds of mail and
$4,000 pounds of freight.
At the present rate of increase 1t is
estimated existing facilities will be ade-
quate in about five years, but if avia-
ton jumps ahead faster than at present
or flying service executives demand
better and more centrally located facn-
tiles to promote increased business, it
Is possible that construction on the big
bay bridge would be paralleled by con-
struction of the air terminal which
would be served by it.
(Copyrisht. 1889