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Councilors: FAA explanation on new jet noise doesn't fly

Several city councilors say new flight paths out of Logan Airport have shifted early morning flights over neighborhoods not used to being awoken at 5:15 a.m. by low-flying jets - and they want the FAA and Massport to explain what they're going to do about that.

"It's really impacting heavily the quality of life of constituents in my area, who are not as familiar with low flying airplanes as they are now," City Councilor Tim McCarthy (Hyde Park, Roslindale, Mattapan) said, adding he has also heard complaints from neighboring West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain.

McCarthy said residents began noticing the early morning flights several months ago with some runway shifts at Logan. He said the FAA claims the changes have had "no significant impact," but he says the complaints he keeps getting, many via #jetsoverrozzie on Twitter suggest otherwise.

City Councilor Tito Jackson (Roxbury) added his neighborhood to the complaint list: Out early one morning, he recalled, "I don't see too well, but I could literally see the numbers on the planes." At large Councilor Michelle Wu said she has gotten complaints from the South End and South Boston as well.

Councilor Sal LaMattina, who represents East Boston, did not comment.

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Comments

Pfffff. I live on the SE/Roxbury line and I can't read the tail numbers with my fairly decent vision. And when I'm outside and they're going over I can't hear them over the street noise, even at 5:30 in the morning.

The airport is boxed in on 3 sides by Southie, Eastie and Winthrop. Someone has to get flown over.

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when I'm outside and they're going over I can't hear them over the street noise, even at 5:30 in the morning.

Not sure what high volume traffic you're listening to but anyone in Roxbury can hear them taking off in the morning.

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I live along Mass Ave & Tremont and it's always loud. I'm up at 5:30 many mornings to talk with clients/coworkers in Europe, and I can't hear the planes over the road noise. Maybe I'm not far enough into Roxbury to hear the airport?

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Part of issue too is that the flights using one of the runways over jp, Rozzie is that planes are 2000 feet lower than they used to be making the constant noise pretty tough. We are quite far from the airport - shouldn't have to wear ear plugs in my own home 3 days out of 5. Fly em higher.

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What, you and two other people?

I grew up in Rozie, they've always flown over the area at a low altitude. It's really not that bad, the buses are far louder.

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Could you find some tweets with that hash tag that I've posted (as opposed to re-tweeting - I'm a very promiscuous retweeter)? Hint: you won't, because I haven't. I was quoting Tim McCarthy - you know, the local city councilor.

Yeah, I've lived in Roslindale long enough to know that planes overhead in general are not a new phenomenon, nor are low planes overhead early in the morning. That doesn't mean the frequency hasn't increased over the past few months - especially over those areas not directly next to Washington Street, which don't normally have to worry about bus noise.

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I live in East Milton and there are days with low-flying planes 60-90 seconds apart for hours. It's easier to ignore in the winter when stuck indoors, but the 4:30am start times are rough.

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I've lived in Roslindale for over 7 years and I can't say that I've really noticed a difference. I always hear aircraft flying overhead but compared to the trucks, buses, sirens, trains and helicopters that I also hear living near Cummins Highway, low flying aircraft is maybe #4 or #5 in terms of noisemakers around me.

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Western Milton gets hit right after Hyde Park and Mattapan by runway 27 departures and that is what I'm assuming everyone above is talking about. Runway 27 departures now seems to be the primary FAA choice for early morning departures (starting around 5:30 am), despite wind directions that would call for use of other runways.

As for the commenter above, you must be one of the lucky ones who does not live directly under the flight path that rest of us are talking about because if you did, you would most certainly hear the roar of the planes and see which airline each one is. Please, don't criticize unless you have walked in our shoes.

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I agree - - the noise is incredibly loud when directly overhead. East Milton and parts of Dorchester/Quincy are under 2 runway flight paths, while 2 other runway paths cover the other side of town. The reason for this is the FAA regulates that planes follow the same GPS guidance for 10 miles prior to their landing (or after takeoff). This concentrates noise over certain communities. Before the FAA created this regulation, plane traffic was spread over many communities, and noise complaints were less common.

It's very understandable that neighborhoods and towns close to the airport should have airplane noise - - we know this! But the quality of life is impacted when it's so concentrated in certain locations.

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So it's NOT my imagination that there's been more air traffic over the South End lately.

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Low flying planes very early AM.

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These rich people might as well be saying "Let's keep those jets over Revere and East Boston where they belong!"

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Anyone who chose to live in those places did so knowing there would be loud planes overhead. They also get lower rent/mortgage because of it. Neither of those 2 things are true of other neighborhoods mentioned.

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I am not sure where you got the idea that mortgage rates or monthly rents are less expensive for people below the flight paths of air traffic??? A mortgage rate is a mortgage rate, in Dorchester (on the flight path of Runways 4L and 4R), or in Worcester or Pittsfield. The rate is determined by banks, the market and the credit of the buyer. And rent? Fuhgetaboutit

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Not a lower mortage rate. A lower mortgage payment, since the purchase price of the house would be smaller.

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I grew up in Winthrop, where the planes are much louder than in almost all of Revere, except maybe Beachmont. I now live in one of the places suddenly getting planes - they're loud, particularly when they haven't flown over these neighborhoods so frequently and we don't expect them, like those in Eastie, Revere and Winthrop have since Logan was first built. It's not rich or poor, it's living next to an international airport and in the decades long flight path, or not.

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When I bought in Rozzie in 2000 there wasn't nearly the air traffic as there is now. They maybe have always flown over Rozzie as some claim (which I doubt because the offending runaway 27 was opened after 2000) but lately they've started using a new form of navigation that concentrates the flight path in a very narrow band. It basically takes the aircraft noise that was distributed across more blocks and have put them over the same people over and over when that runway is active. It's destroying the quality of life I work very hard for (hardly rich blue collar home) and is just not fair. I don't mind my share, but this is BS.

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People complain for the littlest thing , I been living in southie for 12 years and first time I hear this nonsense

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What influence do city councilors have over a Federal agency? If they can concentrate the pressure of constituents on our Congressional representatives then we might get responses from the FAA.

Complain to the Logan website that allows for complaints. Use the app that identifies the jets that fly over the neighborhoods. I believe that a combination of pressure from individuals, city councilors if they're inclined and Federal representatives have to converge to force Logan and the FAA to pay attention.

Letters and emails to Massachusetts members of Congress might help. Dealing with unnecessary noises from Logan is part of their job in providing constituent services.

It is a quality of life issue. Jets that create the whistling sounds of Hollywood nuclear missiles about to destroy your city do not exactly support quiet enjoyment of one's home or neighborhood.

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West Roxbury is being effected by this now??? Shut down the airport!!

#whitelivesmatter

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