Latest news with #DougYakel
San Francisco Chronicle
03-08-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
SFO braces for nearly 1 million travelers during Fourth of July travel surge
Nearly a million travelers were expected to pass through San Francisco International Airport from Wednesday morning through the Fourth of July weekend, which could mean large swarms at security lines — and a frenetic scramble as people rush to their gates. This rush of people flying to far-flung places is just one illustration of what some experts are calling a national summer travel boom, which may boost the economy while also crowding airports and clogging roads. The trick, tourism insiders say, is to follow a timeworn adage: Plan ahead. With 975,000 passengers expected at SFO — a 4% increase from last year — officials have strongly encouraged people to arrive two hours early for domestic flights, and three hours ahead for international boardings, said spokesperson Doug Yakel. Those who don't carry a Real ID should allow extra time for a potentially more intricate screening process. Fortunately, SFO has no scheduled runway closures, and forecasters expect fair weather conditions. For Bay Area residents driving to Tahoe or Los Angeles, traffic tends to build up near the inter-regional gateways. Examples include Pacheco Pass, which cleaves through the mountains separating Santa Clara County from the Central Valley, or the Altamont Pass between Tracy and Livermore, which feeds motorists from the East Bay to Interstate 5. Traditionally, drivers headed from the East Bay to Tahoe or Sacramento have always dreaded another choke point on Interstate 80, between Davis and Vacaville. Flanked by outlet stores, that stretch of freeway picks up local and regional traffic and has long been notorious for slowdowns. But this year, I-80 road trippers can expect a reprieve. Caltrans has added additional capacity in the form of new carpool lanes between Fairfield and Vacaville, which will be converted to express lanes later this year. The additional lanes have effectively loosened a valve for anyone driving from the Bay Area to Tahoe, Reno, Redding, Sacramento or parts of Gold Country. With Fourth of July falling on a Friday this year, people might expect a surge of traffic on Thursday afternoon and evening. 'There's some truth to that,' said John Goodwin, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Still, over years of studying travel patterns, Goodwin said he's learned an important axiom about the Bay Area. 'We leave home over a wide period of time,' he said. 'But we all come back at the same time: 5 p.m. on Sunday.' His advice, for people who want to avoid an epic Sunday afternoon traffic jam, is to head out as early as possible.
Axios
08-07-2025
- Axios
SFO drops shoes-off rule at TSA security checkpoints
Passengers at San Francisco International Airport no longer need to take their shoes off during preflight security checks. The big picture: It's one of several airports rolling out the change, marking the first time in roughly 20 years that general passengers can skip the Transportation Security Administration's footwear removal policy. Driving the news: The new procedure will be enacted across the U.S. in multiple phases and has already taken effect for all flights at SFO, airport spokesperson Doug Yakel confirmed to Axios on Tuesday. Passengers will still need to remove their shoes for additional screening if they trigger scanner or magnetometer alarms, per an internal memo obtained by ABC News. Caveat: The new procedure will not apply to passengers without a REAL ID. Why it matters: A 2024 analysis of U.S. Customs and Border Protection data found that TSA wait times are usually less than 27 minutes on average. Eliminating the policy could shave some time off the security process. Passengers willing to pay $78 every five years for TSA PreCheck have been able to keep their shoes on since 2006 and have an average wait time of less than 10 minutes, according to the expedited security program. Between the lines: The policy change, first reported by travel newsletter Gate Access, has been expected for a while, with select airports implementing shoe-scanning technology in previous years. Flashback: TSA initiated the shoes-off policy in 2006, five years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and a 2001 incident in which a passenger attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his sneakers on an American Airlines flight. Fellow passengers thwarted his plan, and the plane landed safely in Boston. What they're saying: "TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture," a TSA spokesperson told Axios via email. "Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels."
