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Committee approves airport vehicle runway-warning system and upgraded friction testers
Summary
A committee approved emergency ordinances allowing the Port Control division to contract for a runway incursion warning system for airfield vehicles and to replace decade-old pavement friction testing equipment.
CLEVELAND — The Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee on May 19 approved two emergency ordinances enabling the Division of Airports to contract for an aircraft-runway safety warning system for vehicles and to buy new pavement friction testing equipment.
Committee members said the purchases are intended to add safety layers on the airfield. The committee passed Ordinance No. 531-2025 to allow a one-year contract with a one-year renewal option for an "airport runway incursion, prevention, and management system" that provides visual and audible alerts inside vehicle cabs. The committee also passed Ordinance No. 534-2025 to replace friction-measuring equipment used to test runway pavement conditions.
The port-control presentation said the runway-incursion system will augment existing vehicle tracking. A Port Control representative told the committee: "We already do have tracking of our vehicles that are out there. And this is an added component for the actual operators that'll be in the cabin that'll show hey, you're getting close. Here's exactly where it is." The system is described as adding a visual and audible component to warn vehicle operators when they approach restricted runway areas.
On pavement friction testing, Dennis Kramer, assistant director for airport development, said the current friction testers are "approximately 10 years old" and are primarily used during snow events to make sure runways are safe. The ordinance authorizes purchase of upgraded equipment, training and installation.
Committee members said the measures were reviewed earlier in Transportation and Mobility and moved forward without further amendment. Both ordinances were recorded as passed by committee for transmission to the full council.
The ordinances authorize contract procurement and do not themselves award a vendor. No contract amounts or vendor names were announced at the committee meeting.
Implementation details such as procurement timelines and equipment specifications are to be handled by the Department of Port Control and reported in future procurement filings.
Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the May 19 committee meeting and are identified in the speaker list below.
