Somebody explain to me again why we should bulldoze 200 or so homes for an airport expansion that we clearly don't need...

Because if we don't expand, headlines like this are going to become commonplace. Expand or die.

Much of this is due to airline trends in the industry. Manchester and Hartford have also seen notable slumps in traffic, with hartford shedding nearly 1 million passengers in the past two years, most due to airline cuts. This is not a long term trend.

The only way Rhode island is going to effectively compete in the business market is with top notch facilities. High speed rail and a convenient airport with all of the desired ameneties will help Rhode island remain competitive on the eastern seaboard. Lets give the airport the tools that it needs to effectivly serve the business and tourism community.

Afterall the more business and tourism dollars come into the state, the less tax money is required from within the state!

IN ANSWER TO THE FIRST POST;; ARE YOU KIDDING ME??..HAVE YOU EVER COME IN FROM THE NORTH ? I FEEL LIKE I AM GOING TO LAND ON DAVE`s GROCERY STORE ROOF,OR ONE OF THE NATL~GUARDS HANGERS..ITS NOTHING BUT A NOSE DIVE IN.. TWO HUNDRED HOMES ?? SO WHAT !!.. HOW MANY WERE TAKEN WHEN RT.95 CAME THROUGH THE WHOLE STATE IN THE LATE 1950s & TOOK MY HOME IN PAWTUCKET RIGHT @ THE END OF SUMMIT ST.& BROADWAY.. IT WAS A STATE & FEDERAL DEAL & IT WAS A DONE DEAL..."YOU LEAVE"... I NOW LIVE IN MARYLAND, BUT THIS ARGUMENT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN R.I. FOR JUST TO MANY YEARS. "JUST DO IT:... P.S. THE POLITICIANS HAVE TO PAY THEIR HOUSE PAYMENT EVERY MONTH ALSO... SO WHATS NEW IN R.I.

I live in Rhode Island, and fly once per month. Five of my trips in 2007 were out of Boston direct to California. If Providence had a direct flight, I would have flown out of Green.

Direct flights to the West Coast will increase travel out of Green significantly, and bring in more dollars to the bars, malls, taxi companies, and hotels.

Expand.

It's about time the move forward with the EXPANSION!! Let's finally do something right in this state and expand this airport so Rhode Islanders have an airport which is useful and contributes to the RI economy and serves ALL the people of the state and not just the greedy neighbors, Get on with it or we will see more stories like this. Rhode Islanders want an airport expansion - not stone-walling by a Warwick mayor looking to boost his political ambitions. Haven't we had enough grandstanding?

In answer to Rick.
"HOW MANY WERE TAKEN WHEN RT.95 CAME THROUGH THE WHOLE STATE IN THE LATE 1950s & TOOK MY HOME IN PAWTUCKET RIGHT @ THE END OF SUMMIT ST.& BROADWAY.. IT WAS A STATE & FEDERAL DEAL & IT WAS A DONE DEAL..."YOU LEAVE"... I NOW LIVE IN MARYLAND"

So is this your solution for everyone who's home is taken by the state and/or federal deal..."YOU LEAVE"?
How's that working for you in Maryland?

GIVE ME A BREAK, ITS 25 + YEARS OVER DUE TO EXPAND !! GET THE "CATS" WARMED UP....

Delta and American are battling low cost carriers at Boston and as a result they have pinched off their offerings at Green to bolster Logan. This is a big piece of the puzzle. When the bloodbath is over, traffic will re-distribute and Green will prosper again, but we still need to make infrastructure improvements and the central one is a runway built to modern standards. The figures released will make the anti-airport groups and city hall dance but they are temporary.

With the permanent rise in fuel, airline travel has seen its heyday and will revert to former levels, when only the wealthy will be able to afford to fly. Much business travel has been replaced by virtual meetings provided by the latest technology.
Any investment ought to be in rebuilding transcontinental coal-fired rail lines, and building docks in support of intercontinental sea travel.

Green is always my airlines of choice, however, airfares used to be cheaper than flying out of Logan, that's not the case anymore.