Some pretty decent investment set to improve the infrastructure at this airport:


Another state grant was approved for a project at Tulsa Riverside Airport. The project consists of reconstructing several of the connector taxiways for primary runway 19R/1L to meet FAA standards and increase safety and operational efficiency at the airport. Tulsa Riverside is the busiest airport in the state and has over 300 based aircraft. The total project cost is $3,331,000 and will be funded with $2,997,900 of federal grant funds, $166,550 of state grant funds, and $166,550 of sponsor matching funds.

- https://stateaviationjournal.com/index.php/state-news/oklahoma/oklahoma-aeronautics-commission-approves-airport-projects-for-ardmore-municipal-enid-woodring-and-tulsa-riverside

Yeah we'll see. There's a lot of pushback. The surrounding neighborhood doesn't want the airport to expand. I see that article only mentions the taxiways, but they want to expand the runways as well. They wanted to expand one by like 1000 feet and take out half the golf course. Everyone in Jenks is up in arms about it.

I freaking hate NIMBYs.

This money isn't for the runway.

As for NIMBY, there is one option to expand the runway 1000 feet to the south which would destroy Jenks' public golf course and also cut 91st, which is one of only two streets that connect east and west between Elm and Elwood in Jenks and west Tulsa north of the turnpike forcing all traffic for three miles onto Main. This is a Tulsa owned airport wanting to expand into Jenks because to expand the runway to the north instead would be "hard", despite there being nothing on that end of the runway. Riverside might have to relocate a section of the levee to do it, but that would leave 91st St whole and the golf course whole.

And the city of Jenks has the absolute right to block this by refusing to rezone the land.

91st St. could be place in a tunnel. There’s always effects from everything and these are all things that could be worked out. Hopefully they can expand this airport.

91st St. could be place in a tunnel. There’s always effects from everything and these are all things that could be worked out. Hopefully they can expand this airport.

It would be a lot simpler to extend the runway north instead of putting 91st in a tunnel.

Riverside is already the busiest in Oklahoma with more takeoffs and landings than Will Rogers and TIA. It would also make sense to build a new regional general aviation airport.

Yeah we'll see. There's a lot of pushback. The surrounding neighborhood doesn't want the airport to expand. I see that article only mentions the taxiways, but they want to expand the runways as well. They wanted to expand one by like 1000 feet and take out half the golf course. Everyone in Jenks is up in arms about it.

Every golfer in Tulsa County is pissed. Southlakes is a fine course, and I'm glad to see the entire Jenks City Council and mayor opposing south expansion. I hope that means this is just dead on arrival.

It would be a lot simpler to extend the runway north instead of putting 91st in a tunnel.

Riverside is already the busiest in Oklahoma with more takeoffs and landings than Will Rogers and TIA. It would also make sense to build a new regional general aviation airport.

Interesting thought regarding building a new general aviation airport. That would free up thr airport land for redevelopment in a rapidly growing area within Tulsa city limits. Near Turkey Mountain and the future river trail extension. I would think the city would be all over wanting to redevelop that land.

Every golfer in Tulsa County is pissed. Southlakes is a fine course, and I'm glad to see the entire Jenks City Council and mayor opposing south expansion. I hope that means this is just dead on arrival.

They have flat said they will not zone it for airport use. It is DOA.

Interesting thought regarding building a new general aviation airport. That would free up thr airport land for redevelopment in a rapidly growing area within Tulsa city limits. Near Turkey Mountain and the future river trail extension. I would think the city would be all over wanting to redevelop that land.

I have doubts about a new airport actually pulling away most of the traffic there. Sure a new one might get some of the private pilots to relocate their planes if closer to them, the most likely viable location seems south or east of Broken Arrow, which that they do not have an airport might imply there is not the political will for one.
However it is likely most of the traffic at Riverside is generated by the aviation schools and maintenance/supply/other companies based there, which it seems unlikely are going to be eager to build new facilities elsewhere.

Interesting thought regarding building a new general aviation airport. That would free up thr airport land for redevelopment in a rapidly growing area within Tulsa city limits. Near Turkey Mountain and the future river trail extension. I would think the city would be all over wanting to redevelop that land.

I think he meant an additional municipal airport, not a replacement one. OKC has Clarence Page and Sundance in addition to Will Rogers (as well as Westheimer which you could include since it’s on the far north side of Norman and is relatively decent sized). I’m sure Tulsa has some smaller muni-airports but I can’t think of them.

^We have a collection of tiny small airports. Sand Springs and claremore have good ones, but there are also a couple micro muni-airports like Gundy's in Owasso and Harvey Young in east Tulsa. Harvey Young has changed hands a few times and people keep trying to develop it into something larger. Here's the latest effort: http://harvey-young-airport.com/

Looking back on it, and I should say not knowing too much about Tulsa. I can see the concerns about expanding the airport. With that said, it’s in a great location. I’m a little confused on how it’s the busiest airport in Oklahoma. I did see that line and I don’t fully understand how that’s possible but what the hell do I know. I suppose you could located further south down the US 75 but would you keep all the business in doing so?

To me, just seems like a bunch of NIMBYs getting their panties in a wad. Typical NIMBY sh!t. If you don’t like it move, there are tons of other places around the metropolitan area you can relocate to and not have to be near this. So why fight something like this could have great economic benefit. It makes no sense to me. Relocating the airport and re-developing the property into some oasis sounds great, but how feasible is that?

To me, just seems like a bunch of NIMBYs getting their panties in a wad. Typical NIMBY sh!t. If you don’t like it move, there are tons of other places around the metropolitan area you can relocate to and not have to be near this. So why fight something like this could have great economic benefit. It makes no sense to me. Relocating the airport and re-developing the property into some oasis sounds great, but how feasible is that?

the land they want to expand on is in a different city ... that has a golf course on it .... not really hard to understand ..

It's the busiest airport in number of operations, take-offs and landings.

It's time for a third Tulsa airport. There used to be a third one, north of downtown. The city sold that to the Osage Tribe and now it's the Osage Casino. If not a third airport, then extend the runway to the north instead of the south,

I freaking hate NIMBYs.

Especially ones that move in next to an airport, then complain about the airport. Riverside was there long before the golf course or the neighborhood.

It's the busiest airport in number of operations, take-offs and landings.

It's time for a third Tulsa airport. There used to be a third one, north of downtown. The city sold that to the Osage Tribe and now it's the Osage Casino. If not a third airport, then extend the runway to the north instead of the south,

There is Harvey Young, Gundy's, and quite a few others around. They could develop GA at TUL much more too.

RVS is so busy because it has multiple, large flight schools, a great location, multiple FBOs, and a lot of hangar space. Building another airport would do little shrink RVS, although it may slow it's growth a little.

Extending the runway isn't about traffic, though, it's about getting larger aircraft, I say send them to TUL.

There is Harvey Young, Gundy's, and quite a few others around. They could develop GA at TUL much more too.

RVS is so busy because it has multiple, large flight schools, a great location, multiple FBOs, and a lot of hangar space. Building another airport would do little shrink RVS, although it may slow it's growth a little.

Extending the runway isn't about traffic, though, it's about getting larger aircraft, I say send them to TUL.

It is almost weird how much less Tulsa appears to have prepped for future airport expansion compared to OKC. It seems like that kind of shows up in the field layouts too, as the designs picked by OKC look like to have been easier to modify and upgrade over time, while Tulsa layouts still work it looks like theirs have more quirks left from prior eras. Plus in addition to the city fields, OKC also has long acquired land for future Tinker expansion as well. Though I guess between the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, Tinker, and having more passenger/cargo traffic there probably are more aviation jobs/revenue on the line in OKC; so probably got more attention from city hall.

^ I am sure there is some history there. OKC has always had more broad expanses of land to spread out on, and Will Rogers was indeed designed from the start to be a bigger airport. I believe Tulsa's airport has more history as a military installation and bomber production plant. Tulsa has less land to spread out on, and due to the refineries on the other side of the river there was more development pressure eastward, so our airport got surrounded by development. There is a long-range plan for TUL that involves another runway and more space for aviation industry, but it will be decades before we see that come to fruition, if ever.

The proposed plan to extend one of the runways 900 feet to the south cutting 91st St in half and destroying South Lakes Golf Course in Jenks has been killed due to public comments, and I am sure the city of Jenks refusing to zone the land to be used by the airport.

Now the airport authority is considering extending the main N/S runway 900 feet to the north or extending 400 feet to the north and 500 feet to the south leaving 91st and the golf course alone.

https://tulsaworld.com/business/local/tulsa-riverside-airport-eliminates-one-master-plan-consideration/article_a1d6a932-4afe-11ed-98a9-f31a86d46be6.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest

They are also wanting to expand the secondary N/S runway to up the classification of the airport so it can handle larger and faster jets than it does today. That will require a small rerouting of 81st, which carries very little traffic anyway.

Good deal! I was amazed hearing about this airport as I didn’t know it existed until this thread.