Rerouting jets

So the Federal Aviation Administration is in the process of overhauling the jet routes over the northeastern part of the U.S.-- in particular, a 31,000 square-mile airspace from New York City to Philadelphia, one of the biggest problem spots in the country for air traffic congestion. Over the next five years, the FAA will be introducing new routes for some of the airports in the area, among them: Newark-Liberty, Philadelphia, and LaGuardia International Airports.

[For those of you who might think this has no bearing on your travel, consider this: Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and the FAA have estimated that three quarters of all chronic airline delays across the country are due to congestion in the New York City airspace.]

Most of the current flight routes were laid out in the 1960s; obviously, neighborhoods have grown and changed since that time. An example of one of these older flight routes is the path my plane takes when I head home to Knoxville: Moments after taking off, southbound planes bank out over an industrial port district (seen in the background of this photo), away from the residential area of Elizabeth, NJ, which sits right next to the airport. The route changes will allow departing planes to head out in several directions, which means some planes will fly directly over the center of Elizabeth.

Unfortunately, a sound-modeling study by the FAA shows that, while the new routes will cut flight delays by about 20%, the noise will increase somewhat in already-loud areas. Elizabeth's residents are fighting the changes. Residents of some suburbs outside Philadelphia are also upset with the new air routes, which were implemented there on December 19th. Since that date, noise complaints to the Philadelphia airport have, predictably, increased.

There are currently about 12 lawsuits trying to stop the plan, and lawmakers in the affected areas are demanding changes that don't hurt their constituents. One New Jersey senator is threatening to block confirmation of the acting FAA administrator if the agency doesn't stop implementing the new routes. It's not that I don't feel some sympathy, but basically, it's a NIMBY argument: Not In My BackYard. Nobody wants planes flying over their houses or apartments (or railroad tracks or a superhighway running through their backyards). I understand that. But what do you expect when you live right next to the airport???

I've been lucky: my apartment in Queens is maybe a mile and a half from LaGuardia International, one of the busiest airports in the U.S. They have both West-to-East and South-to-North runways; their South/North route brings planes in for a landing less than a mile east of my place. When the winds are particularly strong, forcing pilots to alter their approaches to the runways, sometimes they fly almost directly over my street. But that doesn't happen often, and even when it does, I almost never notice the planes now.

I live in a noisy city. Sirens from ambulances, firetrucks, and police cars are a daily occurrence; if I didn't hear at least one during the day, I'd wonder what was wrong. There are a number of signs around the city warning of a fine for honking, but they're a complete waste of money in a city like this: like the sirens, honking is part of the 'music' inherent to any big city. Add to that the noise from subway trains (believe me, they can be pretty loud!) and the constant construction all over the city (jackhammering is my favorite!) and you learn to live with some level of noise. It's part of adjusting to life in the Northeast!

Do I miss living in rural East Tennessee? Sure, I miss the peace and quiet of the nights there (or the white noise of crickets in the summer). I miss having a car and driving where I want, when I want. I miss my dogs, the scenic views of livestock on rolling hills, and the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains. I miss the feeling of having space around me. But right now, I'm where I want to be, living in one of the greatest cities in the world. For that, I can live with some airplanes overhead.