Lexington Minuteman
Thursday, September 26, 2002

Letter: Traffic is just going to get worse

Commercial passenger aviation at Hanscom is currently on the decline but residents should not be lulled into complacency. On the contrary, Massport is unveiling frightening scenarios for Hanscom's future in the ESPR (Environmental Status and Planning Report) process taking place right now.

Here are a few items for you to consider from the Massport planning report:

(Cargo operations bringing in Airbus 330 jets at 5:45 and 6:30 a.m., for starters.

(Traffic "mitigation" measures that include a rotary at Meriam's Corner (Route 2A and Old Bedford Road).

(55,000 annual corporate jet operations (for comparison, there were 9,587 in 1995 and 32,000 in 2002, assuming the numbers continue for the rest of the
year.)

(6470 people living between the 55 and 65 decibel noise contours around the airport. (55 dB is the noise limit the EPA uses to protect human health. The FAA insists on using 65 dB, which is the point at which normal conversation is drowned out. )

Massport tells us that not to worry, that these are just "hypothetical scenarios," but the fact is that "hypothetical scenarios" used in the last environmental study, the 1995 GEIR, came to pass, and much sooner than predicted.

What can we do? Put Thursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m., on your calendar. (Place to be announced.) This will be the community hearing held by MEPA, the unit of the Department of Environmental Affairs that reviews and rules on Massport's ESPR document. They will be soliciting community comments at this meeting and taking the measure of community concern by the size of the crowd.

And give Hanscom issues your attention right now, as we all ration out precious time in our busy lives. If Massport has its way at Hanscom, life in our communities will be greatly changed in the next five, 10, 15 years.

Kay Tiffany
Reed Street, Lexington

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