Post by Logan on Jan 31, 2016 20:29:07 GMT -6
After decades of complaints about noise and air pollution from the tens of thousands of tourist helicopter flights that circle Manhattan each year, New York City announced a deal on Sunday that would cut their number in half by January 2017.
In addition, the helicopters, as familiar a site on the city’s waterfront as sea gulls and joggers, will not fly on Sundays starting April 1 and will be banned from flying over Governors Island and Staten Island. In waterfront parks across the city, activists have measured noise readings in excess of 75 decibels, louder than a vacuum cleaner.
The agreement, announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio, was intended to address the complaints while trying to keep aloft a multimillion-dollar industry. Last year, more than 59,000 flights took off from Pier 6 near the Battery, the only heliport that provides the tours.
The de Blasio administration hailed the move as a way to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers while protecting an industry that helps pay for operations at the Pier 6 heliport through $2.9 million in rent.
“Everyone gave a little to get to this outcome, but the solution will mean a more livable city for everyone,” Mayor de Blasio, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Read more: www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/nyregion/deal-restricts-tourist-helicopter-flights-over-new-york.html
In addition, the helicopters, as familiar a site on the city’s waterfront as sea gulls and joggers, will not fly on Sundays starting April 1 and will be banned from flying over Governors Island and Staten Island. In waterfront parks across the city, activists have measured noise readings in excess of 75 decibels, louder than a vacuum cleaner.
The agreement, announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio, was intended to address the complaints while trying to keep aloft a multimillion-dollar industry. Last year, more than 59,000 flights took off from Pier 6 near the Battery, the only heliport that provides the tours.
The de Blasio administration hailed the move as a way to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers while protecting an industry that helps pay for operations at the Pier 6 heliport through $2.9 million in rent.
“Everyone gave a little to get to this outcome, but the solution will mean a more livable city for everyone,” Mayor de Blasio, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Read more: www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/nyregion/deal-restricts-tourist-helicopter-flights-over-new-york.html