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Ben Sorensen
District 4 Commissioner
City of Fort Lauderdale
BSorensen@fortlauderdale.gov
City Hall, 8th Floor
100 N. Andrews Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954.828.5003
Chief of Staff
Juan Saavedra
JuSaavedra@fortlauderdale.gov
CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE
10
Commissioner’s Message
Airport Noise-Metroplex Project
he FAA has released its draft South-Central Florida Metroplex Environmental
Assessment. For those of you in District 4 concerned with airport noise, your
Tknowledge and engagement is essential to this issue.
As the project is planned, the Metroplex project could bring increased aircraft
noise to our area. However, with just a slight change to this plan, aircraft noise
could be significantly decreased. Please see below for frequently asked questions
provided by the Lauderdale Isles Civic Improvement Association Airport Noise
Committee and well as their link: http://liwmd.org/metroplex.html
What is the South/Central Florida Metroplex?
The Metroplex is simply a modernization of the air traffic control system in Florida.
Aircraft will use satellite-based technology so that the airspace will be used more
efficiently. Metroplex is sometimes called the new “highway in the sky.”
What is the “Draft Metroplex Environmental Assessment?”
Before the FAA can put the Metroplex plan in place, it is required to produce a
study about the affects it will have on the environment. For us, the most important
part of this Environmental Assessment is aircraft noise.
Why should I care about Metroplex?
Aircraft will be guided to “waypoints.” When they take off to the west on the north
runway, the first waypoint is very near us and as a result the planes will be closer
to -- or even right over -- our neighborhood. The way it’s planned now will result in
significantly more noise for Lauderdale Isles and nearby neighborhoods.
The study is over 400 pages. How can I easily
understand how Metroplex will affect me?
The LICIA Airport Noise Committee has waded through this document and come up
with a simplified briefing of what will happen for our area. If you are truly
concerned about the airport noise issue, you need to look. Here is the link:
http://liwmd.org/metroplex.html
How does the Metroplex Assessment address the airport
noise issue?
The FAA determines what the noise levels will be with the new flight patterns versus
the noise levels if the patterns are not changed. They claim that takeoff patterns will
be the same as they are now (not exactly true). So, they conclude that noise levels
will not change. In actuality, the nearby waypoint they are choosing to use WILL
result in more noise for us. Again, to see a simple explanation of how this will all
work, look at our briefing at http://liwmd.org/metroplex.html.
So, we are going to have worse noise than now when
Metroplex starts?
If the plan is put into place as it is written now, yes. However, if the FAA moves the
waypoint to one that’s slightly farther west, Metroplex could vastly improve our
rio vista civic association • www.riovistaonline.com