Medford Mayor Continues Push To Alleviate Airplane Noise

MEDFORD, MA — The Federal Aviation Administration recently rejected alternative concepts for departures from a Logan Airport runway that significantly impacts airplane noise over Medford, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said. The runway, 33L, was included as part of Block 2 of a study coordinated by Massport, the FAA and MIT to address concentration issues as a result of NextGen, the modernization of the air traffic system that sent flights on more direct routes between airports.

Airplane noise from Logan has been a frequent issue in many greater Boston communities. Officials have pointed to a flight pattern procedure implemented in 2013 they say "unfairly and disproportionately" exposes residents to airplane noise from runway 33L.

The FAA informed the Massport Community Advisory Committee in early August that MIT's Block 2 dispersion concepts had been rejected. Lungo-Koehn voiced her frustration over the decision in a statement on her Facebook page last week.

"The 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act stated that the FAA will seek to 'improve community involvement practices' and 'consider the feasibility of dispersal headings or other lateral track variations to address community noise concerns,'" she wrote. "The FAA has failed to accomplish these despite years of discussions and planning."

Medford leads the region in airplane noise complaints filed with the state, according to data on the city's website. The latest numbers from July showed 97 individual residents filed 4,266 complaints.

Jennifer Mehigan, a spokesperson for Massport, wrote in an email that a final set of recommendations will be presented to the MCAC.

"The FAA's initial report will inform MIT's work and final set of recommendations to be presented to the MCAC for their review and approval," Mehigan wrote. "We will continue to support the ongoing work by the MIT engineers and the FAA, with input from the Massport CAC, which includes a representative from Medford."

Lungo-Koehn said she will continue to follow up with Massport and the FAA, as well as state representatives.

"I have drafted a letter to both Massport and the FAA that I hope my fellow Mayors and Town Managers in surrounding communities will join me in sending," she wrote. "I will also be elevating our community's concerns to our state elected representatives to ask that they continue to advocate on behalf of our communities in seeing action taken on this important quality of life issue."

Residents may report complaints to Massport at www.massport.com or over the phone at the Massport Noise Complaint Line (617) 561-3333.