Exploring the proposed airport expansion

Airport expansion.
What could East Lawrence hear?

Explore how possible flight paths and aircraft assumptions change estimated outdoor noise. The 737 is an illustrative case—not a forecast of aircraft, routes, or flight frequency. These are rough estimates, not actual noise readings or an official study.

This site offers a preliminary exploration of potential airport noise in East Lawrence, helping residents understand the assumptions, uncertainties, and questions surrounding possible expansion.

Explore the noise map ↓Read the planning documents ↓
ESTIMATES, NOT MEASUREMENTS NO LOCAL NOISE READINGS 12 SAMPLE LOCATIONS

Official City sources

Planning documents & public meetings

Start with the newer draft in the January 2026 board packet. It identifies Runway Alternative #4 as the preferred alternative. The April 2025 presentation is available below for historical context.

Featured document · January 2026 board packet

Option 4: the draft’s preferred runway alternative

The draft describes a 400-foot extension south and a 200-foot extension north of Runway 15/33. Its evaluation identifies Option 4 as preferred while noting that potential highway impacts depend on further FAA review.

View Option 4 drawing · page 166 ↗ Read why Option 4 is preferred · page 177 ↗ Open the complete board packet · PDF ↗

Drawing: Figure 5-4, “Runway Alternative #4” · Alternatives Chapter, page 9 of 31 · Packet page 166 of 213. If your PDF viewer opens at the beginning, enter page 166. The draft’s preference does not establish construction approval or the operating capability of a particular 737.

Newer draft · Option 4 drawing ↗January 2026 board packet · Figure 5-4 · Page 166 City airport page & master-plan documents ↗Look under Airport Rules & Documents Aviation Advisory Board homepage & meeting archive ↗Board purpose, meeting agendas, and public-comment information City meeting agendas & records ↗Meeting notices, agendas, and public-comment information

On the board homepage, select a meeting date to find its agenda, minutes, and attached files where available.

Earlier presentation & archived meeting files

Planning documents updated October 15, 2026. The featured draft is from the January 2026 board packet; consult the City records for subsequent changes and decisions. This site is an independent information resource, not an official City study.

Explore possible flights

Try a scenario. The settings are examples, not a forecast.

Geometry is approximate and for screening only.
Estimated outdoor peak across selection ILLUSTRATIVE
63–75dBA Lmax

One aircraft event across the selected neighborhood points; assumption-based range.

These numbers use uncalibrated example sound levels and chosen sensitivity bands. They illustrate how assumptions change the result—not the noise your neighborhood will actually experience.

quiet room 30conversation 60lawn mower 90
Closest horizontal distance 3.10 mi selected points to modeled path
Modeled slant distance 3.12 mi includes assumed altitude
Illustrative daily average (DNL) 42–54 dB 6 events; no night penalty

Reading the results

A brief peak and a daily average tell different stories.

Peak noise represents the loudest moment of one modeled flight. DNL spreads modeled sound energy over a whole day, with extra weight for nighttime flights. A low daily average can coexist with noticeable individual events.

These figures describe outdoor noise from the selected scenario. They do not predict indoor sound, speech interference, sleep disruption, or total neighborhood noise from all sources.

Evidence boundary

Understanding potential neighborhood noise.

This is a transparent first-pass model. It is designed to reveal which assumptions drive the answer and what evidence should be requested before a decision.

What is anchored

  • Twelve representative points east of Mass
  • Mapped city boundary clipped at the Mass alignment
  • Airport runway endpoints and headings
  • City's 2025 concept to extend Runway 15/33
  • Distance calculated from selected path
  • Standard logarithmic distance attenuation

What must be measured or disclosed

  • Actual proposed routes and fleet mix
  • Selected runway extension end and length
  • Aircraft weights, thrust and flight profiles
  • Hourly, seasonal and nighttime operations
  • Baseline and event sound levels across the east side

Best next evidence

Ask for an FAA AEDT scenario run

Request area-level results east of Massachusetts Street for each proposed runway use, fleet mix, day/night schedule and operational year—plus the underlying assumptions.

Questions beyond noise

What else should residents ask?

Noise is one part of the discussion. These questions also deserve public answers before major commitments are made.

  • Benefits and demand: What needs would expansion serve, and who would benefit?
  • Public costs: What would construction and ongoing operations cost, and who would pay?
  • Traffic: Could expansion require changes to US 24/40, and how would regional travel be affected?
  • Wildlife: What habitats and wildlife could be affected?
  • Pollution: How would additional flights affect air quality, water quality, and nearby residents?
  • Alternatives: Could smaller improvements or nearby airports meet the documented demand?

Method & sources

A deliberately simple, inspectable model.

The event estimate starts with an illustrative aircraft reference level at 1,000 feet, applies spherical spreading to the calculated slant distance, then adds an uncertainty band. DNL is derived from the modeled event SEL, daily operations and a 10 dB nighttime weighting. Terrain, shielding, detailed engine state, atmospheric absorption and certified Noise–Power–Distance curves are not modeled.

Lpoint ≈ L1,000 ft − 20 log10(slant distance / 1,000 ft)
FAA Airport DataAirport facility and runway records ↗ FAA traffic-pattern guidanceAIM 4-3-2 and 4-3-3 ↗ FAA airport chartsLawrence Regional chart listings ↗ FAA AEDTAuthoritative aviation environmental modeling ↗ FAA Aviation NoiseNoise policy, metrics and research ↗ City of LawrenceAirport board agendas and records ↗ City airport planning materialsMaster plan and open-house documents ↗ Mapped city boundaryLawrence administrative relation ↗ Boeing planning data737 airport planning references ↗

Map and administrative boundary © OpenStreetMap contributors. The boundary is simplified and clipped at the Massachusetts Street alignment; it is not an official city-limit survey. Runway endpoints are cross-checked against published airport data. Extension segments are schematic extrapolations of the runway axis, not published dimensions or an approved footprint. Traffic arrows and circuit geometry are illustrative; no actual or proposed 737 routes are established here. Model revision 1.5 · October 12, 2026.

See the example inputs and calculation limits

The aircraft reference levels below are uncalibrated example inputs embedded in this model, in dBA at 1,000 feet. They are not sourced to local measurements or certified aircraft noise curves. The FAA and Boeing links provide background; they do not validate these values.

Aircraft exampleArrivalDeparture
737 MAX 88691
737-800 NG8995
737-700 NG8893

The example band is ±6 dB. The wider band adds 2 dB to the reference level and uses ±8 dB. These are chosen sensitivity ranges, not confidence intervals. The daily-average estimate uses a simplified effective event duration of 8–24 seconds and a 10 dB nighttime weighting; it is not an FAA AEDT calculation.

The opening scenario uses six flights per day and no night flights solely to demonstrate the controls. The height is calculated from a simple profile and can be changed. Noise varies with engine power, aircraft weight, weather, terrain, buildings, and other factors this model does not resolve. Do not use these numbers as a prediction of future exposure.

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