In response to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Integrated Airspace Alternative proposal to redesign the New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia airspace, Congressman Christopher Shays, Republican representative for District 4, joined Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) and Scott Garrett (R-NJ) to offer an amendment today to the 2008 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill to prevent the plan’s implementation.
The amendment failed by a vote of 65 to 360.
Mr. Shays, an outspoken critic of the proposal, called the plan unreasonable because it fails to account for the quality of life impact on communities below the proposed routes. The FAA’s proposal has made no attempt to explore alternative routes over less populated areas to mitigate noise, nor has it set recommended restrictions on minimum altitude. According to the FAA report, the plan will re-route more air traffic over southwestern Connecticut, increasing the air noise levels in some parts of the 4th district.
“I oppose the FAA’s integrated airspace alternative that would route more air traffic over residential neighborhoods and have repeatedly shared my deep concerns, and the concerns of area residents, with the FAA,” Mr. Shays said. “While I am disappointed by the outcome on this amendment, I will continue to fight this proposal and work to help other members understand why the FAA simply must consider quality of life. This plan brings more planes into the region at the expense of our area’s quality of life. After safety, quality of life should be a primary factor in any airspace redesign but it was not even considered in this case.”
