Narrative:

Local and ground control are combined at dlh much of the time. In addition to issuing aircraft crossing clrncs, there are frequent requests by other users to cross active runways. Vehicle movements by the airport authority, construction, FAA, military, and emergency vehicles, adds up to frequency congestion. These vehicles are sometimes driven by inexperienced drivers, unfamiliar with the airport layout. During a 40 day period, from dec/X/92 to jan/X/93, we conducted a vehicle count of operations at dlh. During this period, the average number of vehicle operations was 146 per day. Of these operations, there were an average of 147 xings of an active runway, and an average of 55 operations on an active runway, per day. The survey period included holidays and wkends, so the averages are probably higher. We also received 7 inches less snow for the test period, than average. As of nov/X/93, the duluth airport authority has authorized 138 vehicles to operate on the airport. This is an incredible amount of vehicles to be familiar with, what their function is and what their particular rtes are. For example, the air national guard has 7 refuelers that operate on the field. The fuel storage area is on the southwest side of the field, and the guard base is on the northeast side. These refuelers make numerous trips daily, with each trip crossing 2 active runways. The large amount of vehicle traffic creates an unsafe situation. In addition to the number of vehicles, the fact that ground and local are combined up 99 percent of the time, make this hazardous situation even more so. Common sense dictates that the more vehicles that cross or operate on a runway, the more chance there is for an airplane and vehicle to come together. The number of vehicles on the field needs to be drastically reduced. There are perimeter roads that vehicles can use. Vehicle traffic from the tower area can use the south perimeter road (this would eliminate the north country vehicles, and some airport vehicles). The guard can be made to use the north perimeter road. This would eliminate most of the guard traffic. Management is reluctant to say anything to the vehicle operators, for fear of upsetting the good relationship we have on the field. However, if these people are made to understand that it is for everybody's own good that vehicles need to be restr. With winter approaching, we need to get moving on this reduction of vehicles. The addition of snowplows to an already dangerous situation is asking for trouble.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR COMPLAINS ABOUT THE LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE ARPT TO CROSS RWYS.

Narrative: LCL AND GND CTL ARE COMBINED AT DLH MUCH OF THE TIME. IN ADDITION TO ISSUING ACFT XING CLRNCS, THERE ARE FREQUENT REQUESTS BY OTHER USERS TO CROSS ACTIVE RWYS. VEHICLE MOVEMENTS BY THE ARPT AUTHORITY, CONSTRUCTION, FAA, MIL, AND EMER VEHICLES, ADDS UP TO FREQ CONGESTION. THESE VEHICLES ARE SOMETIMES DRIVEN BY INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS, UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT LAYOUT. DURING A 40 DAY PERIOD, FROM DEC/X/92 TO JAN/X/93, WE CONDUCTED A VEHICLE COUNT OF OPS AT DLH. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF VEHICLE OPS WAS 146 PER DAY. OF THESE OPS, THERE WERE AN AVERAGE OF 147 XINGS OF AN ACTIVE RWY, AND AN AVERAGE OF 55 OPS ON AN ACTIVE RWY, PER DAY. THE SURVEY PERIOD INCLUDED HOLIDAYS AND WKENDS, SO THE AVERAGES ARE PROBABLY HIGHER. WE ALSO RECEIVED 7 INCHES LESS SNOW FOR THE TEST PERIOD, THAN AVERAGE. AS OF NOV/X/93, THE DULUTH ARPT AUTHORITY HAS AUTHORIZED 138 VEHICLES TO OPERATE ON THE ARPT. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF VEHICLES TO BE FAMILIAR WITH, WHAT THEIR FUNCTION IS AND WHAT THEIR PARTICULAR RTES ARE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD HAS 7 REFUELERS THAT OPERATE ON THE FIELD. THE FUEL STORAGE AREA IS ON THE SW SIDE OF THE FIELD, AND THE GUARD BASE IS ON THE NE SIDE. THESE REFUELERS MAKE NUMEROUS TRIPS DAILY, WITH EACH TRIP XING 2 ACTIVE RWYS. THE LARGE AMOUNT OF VEHICLE TFC CREATES AN UNSAFE SIT. IN ADDITION TO THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES, THE FACT THAT GND AND LCL ARE COMBINED UP 99 PERCENT OF THE TIME, MAKE THIS HAZARDOUS SIT EVEN MORE SO. COMMON SENSE DICTATES THAT THE MORE VEHICLES THAT CROSS OR OPERATE ON A RWY, THE MORE CHANCE THERE IS FOR AN AIRPLANE AND VEHICLE TO COME TOGETHER. THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES ON THE FIELD NEEDS TO BE DRASTICALLY REDUCED. THERE ARE PERIMETER ROADS THAT VEHICLES CAN USE. VEHICLE TFC FROM THE TWR AREA CAN USE THE S PERIMETER ROAD (THIS WOULD ELIMINATE THE N COUNTRY VEHICLES, AND SOME ARPT VEHICLES). THE GUARD CAN BE MADE TO USE THE N PERIMETER ROAD. THIS WOULD ELIMINATE MOST OF THE GUARD TFC. MGMNT IS RELUCTANT TO SAY ANYTHING TO THE VEHICLE OPERATORS, FOR FEAR OF UPSETTING THE GOOD RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE ON THE FIELD. HOWEVER, IF THESE PEOPLE ARE MADE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS FOR EVERYBODY'S OWN GOOD THAT VEHICLES NEED TO BE RESTR. WITH WINTER APCHING, WE NEED TO GET MOVING ON THIS REDUCTION OF VEHICLES. THE ADDITION OF SNOWPLOWS TO AN ALREADY DANGEROUS SIT IS ASKING FOR TROUBLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.