"Hub lawyers urge judge to reject new Boston runway"

Friday, February 14, 2003

Hub lawyers urge judge to reject new runway 
by David Weber
The Boston (MA) Herald


Lawyers representing the city of Boston and several surrounding
municipalities urged a judge yesterday to reject Massport's bid to build a
new runway.

In their closing arguments after a jury-waived trial that began three weeks
ago in front of Suffolk Superior Court Judge Margot Botsford, the lawyers
argued Massport has not sufficiently shown the new runway would reduce
flight delays. They also argued air traffic could be increased at Hanscom
Air Field to offset the delays at Logan.

Attorney Michael Roitman, who represented individuals living in East Boston,
said the new runway would cause increased noise and air pollution.

``The harms to our clients are real,'' Roitman said. ``The benefits (to
Massport) are quite dubious.''

But attorney Roscoe Trimmier, representing Massport, opened the hearing by
arguing the principal cause of Logan delays are winds out of the northwest
that force officials to close one of the airport's three existing runways.

The new runway would be oriented in a northwest-to-southeast direction so
departing planes could take off into the wind.

Attorney Leonard Singer, arguing against the new runway on behalf of the
city of Chelsea, said Hanscom is an attractive alternative to Logan. He said
about 24 percent of Logan's passenger base lives near Hanscom.

Attorney Stephen Leonard, representing the city of Boston, added Hanscom has
essentially same-sized runway facilities as La Guardia Airport in New York
City.

There are a small number of commercial passenger flights out of Hanscom, but
it is used primarily for general aviation.

Residents in the surrounding towns of Lexington and Concord have loudly
protested that the area is unable to handle an influx of new Hanscom
traffic.

Botsford will hear a final set of closing arguments before she renders a
decision on the runway.


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