Zoe Berg, Senior Photographer

Amid residents’ concerns of Tweed-New Haven Airport’s noise and environmental pollution, the airport has agreed to launch WebTrak, a website that will allow them to track aircraft locations and noise levels in the area. 

Designed by Envirosuite, an environmental intelligence company that specializes in aviation noise management, the airport hopes the platform will increase transparency and open communication with the community. Locals have highlighted concerns about noise pollution, which the website hopes to help mitigate. 

“We’re investing in the community with a professional grade system that represents the kind of airport that is part of the neighborhood,” Andrew King, a spokesperson for the Tweed-New Haven airport, said. 

This comes in response to nearby residents’ voicing the ways in which the airport’s activity is negatively affecting their daily lives — including air pollution, traffic and the degradation of surrounding wetlands — in addition to noise pollution.

Tweed-New Haven airport is surrounded by the towns of East Haven and Branford and by New Haven’s East Shore neighborhood — residents of which are primarily affected.

“The Branford sky is just covered. It’s just covered with flight paths like crazy,” said Shirley McCarthy, a resident of Short Beach, Branford and retired School of Medicine Professor. “It’s no longer peaceful.”

Jody Rowell, who has lived a block from the airport for over 13 years, also voiced concerns about noise and air pollution. She described how the older airplane models that frequently fly from the airport produce exceptionally loud noises, and how fumes from airplanes idling on the runway enter her house on a regular basis. 

Lorena Venegas, a resident of East Haven who works in the healthcare field, also finds air pollution especially concerning, pointing out that a high population of East Haven residents have asthma and lung conditions. 

“Noise pollution affects me in my everyday life,” she said. “Right now, we’re woken up in all hours of the night by planes around the flight path.”

Despite a voluntary agreement to limit the planes flying from the airport during nighttime hours, all three residents have been frequently disturbed by planes during this time.

By implementing WebTrak, the airport aims to increase transparency and incorporate community feedback to achieve solutions for these issues, according to King. The airport has been working with Envirosuite for months to release the online platform.

“The algorithms that we’ve developed are able to correlate the noise that the noise monitor measures to the aircraft position,” Greg Bracci, the vice president of Envirosuite, said. “And that’s what’s different with what we offer versus other websites that are out there.”

In addition to giving residents a real-time flight tracker to see planes’ locations and noise levels, the airport also intends to use the system to obtain data to create more effective noise mitigation strategies. By quantifying where planes are creating the most noise, the airport can know where to apply more resources in the future, according to King.

Most importantly, WebTrak is part of the airport’s efforts to incorporate community feedback.

King noted that the airport regularly holds public meetings to listen to residents’ concerns and suggestions. He explained that the idea of working with Envirosuite was first considered during a public meeting in which a resident asked about using noise monitors. King explained that the airport looked into options available at that meeting, which eventually led to the partnership with Envirosuite. 

King also said that the airport has been looking into different solutions for problems other than noise pollution, such as working with the City of New Haven for new traffic mitigation measures, and a program to provide residents near the airport with HEPA air filters in their homes. He said they hope to implement resident feedback on these issues in the nearby future.

Despite these initiatives, many residents believe that the airport frequently makes empty promises and does not deliver real solutions. Rowell noted that with only two noise monitors, and no real solutions promised beyond monitoring, she believes that the launch of WebTrak will not significantly improve residents’ quality of life.

“It’s another band aid, another cover up that Tweed and the city of New Haven are doing to look like they’re pacifying our concerns, rather than taking real action,” Rowell said. “There has been absolutely no response to the community.”

Venegas notes that the airport has ignored many suggestions that residents have proposed for years, such as providing noise medication or a “hot button” to indicate when a plane is flying directly over a home. All three residents said that the problems of noise and air pollution are only getting worse due to the airport’s expansion, and the airport is not receptive to their concerns.

King attributed some of these challenges to the airport’s rapid expansion in recent years, growing from almost zero passengers to over 600,000 per year. He cited difficulties in hiring personnel and financial challenges that the airport faces to rapidly introduce new solutions. 

King also noted that there are community members who enjoy living next to the airport as well due to its convenience, and that the airport supports the local economy.

“We employ over 300 people at the airport, and many of those come directly from the community,” King said.

New Haven residents, however, continue to say they remain negatively impacted by the airport’s expansion. Venegas notes health-related concerns, noting that noise is linked to cardiovascular problems and strokes. She explains that more than just quality of life, she is worried about the community’s health. 

All three residents hoped that the airport would incorporate more community feedback. 

“I have to tell you, the community is tired, and we don’t trust that this is actually going to actually do anything or get us anywhere,” Rowell said. “It feels like another set up.”

Tweed-New Haven airport is located at 155 Burr St.