Trenton-Mercer Airport Expansion Could Bring More Flights Over Area

When the current 24,780-square-foot passenger terminal at Trenton-Mercer Airport was built in the mid-1970s, there was lax passenger screening, you could smoke on planes, and airline travel not as common as it is today.

Now, Mercer County is planning a major expansion of the airport that sits just five miles from the Levittown area and regularly sees passenger flights coming and going. Those flights fly low over Lower Bucks County.

Mercer County, the Federal Aviation Administration, and contracted firms developed a master plan for development at the airport over the next 20 years. The plan was finished in 2018 and noted more runways and a nearly four times larger terminal are needed to accommodate growth to the airport that has provided a convenient alternative to Philadelphia International Airport and those surrounding New York City.

The airport currently offers passenger service from Frontier Airlines and features a flight school, aircraft chartering and maintenance companies, Pfizer, Merck, Johnson and Johnson, the military and national guard, New Jersey State Police, Mercer County government, and Crest-Ultrasonics on its campus.

The passenger forecast summary in the 2018 master plan notes the number of airline enplanements will grow from 377,544 in 2014 to 476,507 in 2035. It also projected the number of planes based at the airport would grow from 133 in 2014 to 156 in 2035.

Officials noted in 2019 that the airport had 363,626 paying passengers in 2017, compared to 3,414 in 2011.

Brian Hughes, the executive of Mercer County, where the airport sits, said the current passenger infrastructure is “wholly inaccurate” and needs expansion.

“Based on industry standard, it’s about 25 percent of the size it should be for the number of passengers passing through. The purpose of this new terminal would be to accommodate the people that use our airport today and meet the foretasted demands of people who will use it in the year 2035,” said Hughes, whose point of view was backed by a number of New Jersey politicians during Wednesday evening’s hearing.

“We’ve put a lot of thought into a new terminal,” he added.

On this side of the Delaware River, expansion of the airport and additional flights over Bucks County is controversial.

Groups like Bucks Residents for Responsible Airport Management (BRRAM) and Trenton Threatened Skies have long worried about expanding air traffic, citing noise and air quality problems that could come along with a larger airport.

A member of BRRAM during Wednesday’s hearing said that the study produced by Mercer County officials showed a “total disregard” for the complete impacts of an airport expansion.

A Yardley Borough resident said they have noticed more passenger planes in recent years, causing their windows to rattle and their homes to shake.

Trenton Threatened Skies, which has focused on the development of the airport for 20 years, has raised objections to the phased approach to expansion that helps avoid a larger environmental review.

Dr. Robin Karpf, an officer with Trenton Threatened Skies, wrote in a March letter to New Jersey news organization Mercer Me that the group is “absolutely not opposed to the modernization of this regional airport.”

“We are, however, concerned about accountability and the transparency of a process that impacts us. We must be able to assure our families and our neighbors that ambitious expansion does not threaten the natural environment, public health, financial stability, property values and quality of life of this very special region,” she said.

State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, a Democrat who represents part of Lower Bucks County, spoke during the hearing and raised worries the expansion would cause a large impact to residents in the area, including in Bucks County.

He suggested an airport modernization is still possible, but a wide-scale expansion might not be needed.

State Rep. Perry Warren, a Democrat who represents part of Lower Bucks County, said things like airport noise and traffic extend across the state line, impacting Bucks Countians.

Lower Makefield Township Supervisor John Lewis said during the hearing that residents had serious concerns about noise and air quality that likely would come along with an expansion. He said he’s not entirely opposed because residents do enjoy the convenience of having an airport nearby.

The mayor of Ewing, New Jersey, the municipality where the airport sits, said he supports the expansion proposal, noting it would be good for the economies in New Jersey and Bucks County.

“This particular project is worthy of our support and of everyone’s support. I’m endorsing this project 100 percent,” Mayor Bert Steinmann said.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora also endorsed the project, noting its potential regional economic benefits.

The mayor for New Jersey’s capital city said the airport growth would be a “centerpiece of expansion for both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.”

Mercer County operates a website with copies of the airport master plan, tips for public participation, and the draft environmental assessment.

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