FAA plans to reroute Newark, New York air traffic

Hillburn — Warwick Town Councilman Jim Gerstner was one of nearly 1,000 residents of Orange, Rockland and surrounding counties to voice concern Monday night with the Federal Aviation Administration’s plan to reroute air traffic over these counties. It is an effort to reduce delay times at the metro New York airports — Newark, Kennedy and LaGuardia — that may send up to 400 flights per day over the heads of Orange and Rockland residents, as well as those in Bergen County, N.J. Gerstner presented a letter from Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton to U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, who had called for the meeting. In the letter, Sweeton asked that the FAA address concerns with increased noise levels and also provide an impact study that he said is required under the Department of Transportation. Also of concern, said Gerstner, is the impact on the nearby Wallkill Wildlife Refuge. The FAA announced earlier this year that it had decided on the Integrated Airspace Alternative, one of four proposals that was studied in an effort to reduce delays at the three major airports and Philadelphia. This plan basically reroutes planes coming into or taking off from the three New York area airports and Philadelphia. Two of the plans considered were more pleasing to local residents and politicians. The first involved a modification to the existing air space, which would change the current routes to improve efficiency and safety. This plan would create new, more direct departure paths for LaGuardia, Newark and Philadelphia, improving efficiency by expediting departures. The second, and the one many in Bergen, Rockland, and Orange counties were hoping for, was an ocean routing plan. This alternative moved all departing flights from Newark over the Atlantic Ocean before turning toward the destination. This plan, proponents said, would reduce noise on residents of New York and New Jersey. The FAA, however, said the purpose of the project was to make air traffic more efficient, and this plan did not meet their objective. The other alternative was to not change anything. Gerstner said the residents at the meeting were unhappy that the FAA decided on a plan before talking to the people who would be most affected by it. “The comments from the crowd were basically, Why didn’t you talk to us since we are the most affected?” said Gerstner. “Many residents wanted the new pattern moved five miles west, which would really affect us. Others asked why not send the air traffic over the Thruway, since there is traffic noise anyway.” The changes will affect Orange County but less than it will Bergen and Rockland since they are closer to the airports, and the flights will be descending closer to them. Steve Kelley, project manager for the FAA’s redesign project, did not directly answer the questions put to him but said the comments would go on the record. A final determination will be made in September.