For over a decade, the New York City Council has taken action to change the route of the Tennis Climb at LaGuardia Airport to address aircraft noise issues that have plagued residents of Flushing and Bayside, Queens, for more than a decade.
Councilmember Vicky Palladino recently introduced a resolution urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to change the Tennis Climb route back to its existing route, citing residents of Flushing and Bayside, Queens, who have complained of serious health problems caused by aircraft noise. According to the resolution, the Tennis Climb route at LaGuardia Airport was first established in 1993. It was created as a temporary route to prevent aircraft from making noise over the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, where the US Open tennis tournament is held every year from the end of August, but it was changed to a permanent route in 2012.cz_law Rep.
Paladino pointed out that “although the US Open noise problem may have been solved with the change in route, health problems due to aircraft noise have begun to appear for residents as aircraft fly over residential areas such as Flushing and Bayside.” He emphasized that “there are research reports that the noise made by aircraft passing overhead can cause serious health problems such as high blood pressure, neuroendocrine disorders, psychological and cognitive dysfunction, learned helplessness, long-term memory decline, and reading and comprehension decline in addition to direct noise damage.”
In fact, residents of the Flushing and Bayside areas are also strongly demanding that the LaGuardia Airport Tennis Climb route be changed. “Aircraft noise has turned our lives into hell,” one Bayside resident complained. “Aircraft noise is so loud that I have to wear headphones to sleep, as it is close to the decibel level of a motorcycle engine.”
Another resident of Flushing also said, “I have been living with my windows and doors closed for a year because of the noise from the aircraft,” and “I can’t even talk to someone 3 feet away when the aircraft is flying by. This is because the aircraft noise is close to 90 decibels.”
Meanwhile, after complaints from residents for years, the Federal Aviation Administration took soundproofing measures for about 20 schools in the area. However, it did not accept the most fundamental request to change the ‘Tennis Climb’ route.