TESTIMONY
Roland Lewis, Consultant for Stop the Chop NY/NJ on the Economic and Community Impacts of Helicopter Traffic in New York City
2:31:42
·
139 sec
Lewis highlights the negative economic impacts of helicopter traffic on waterfront businesses and public spaces in New York City. He provides an example of a restaurant owner losing customers and revenue due to helicopter noise. He argues that excessive helicopter traffic is hindering economic growth and job creation along the waterfront areas that the city has invested in revitalizing. Additionally, Lewis points out the inequity of helicopter routes that disproportionately affect working-class neighborhoods like Flatbush and East New York, calling it an economic and environmental justice issue.
- Helicopter noise disrupts waterfront businesses, leading to lost customers and revenue
- Excessive helicopter traffic prevents full economic potential from being reached in revitalized waterfront areas
- Helicopter routes unfairly impact working-class communities like Flatbush and East New York
- Lewis calls for urgent action from all levels of government to address these economic and equity concerns
Roland Lewis
2:31:42
Alright.
2:31:43
Good afternoon.
2:31:44
I'm terribly serious.
2:31:46
Counsel member, Roland Lewis, consultant to stop the chop.
2:31:50
I'd like to make 2 very brief points.
2:31:53
One based on my prior employment and one based on where I live.
2:31:57
I used I ran an organization called the Waterfront Alliance for 13 years, and you've heard, I think, and you'll hear more from life and war.
2:32:05
You know, there's the fact that helicopter traffic has on the tranquility and the of our public spaces.
2:32:14
I'd like to talk to you about actually the economic impact.
2:32:19
I think merit alluded to this a second ago.
2:32:22
One of the statements was from that you'll have in in the press release, and it's from Alex Pinkett's who runs the Grand Banks Auto Grand Banks Oyster Bar, and he employs 300 people.
2:32:38
And he's had customers ask for refunds because of helicopter tracker, because over his restaurants, 300.
2:32:44
That's far more than that employed by the helicopter industry.
2:32:48
And if you've been to other Great Waterfront Cities London or Stockholm, and we talked about Paris, Lincoln, we've talked about that before, These are economic engines.
2:32:57
We've invested 1,000,000,000,000 of dollars into our waterfront, thankfully, with great parks and all and the ferry trends.
2:33:02
All sorts of things happen on the waters edge.
2:33:04
We could have so much more economic activity if it weren't for the the nuisance of helicopter traffic.
2:33:10
So the up we're leaving money and jobs on the table is what I'm trying to say.
2:33:14
By this industry continuing.
2:33:18
The second point is just basically where I live.
2:33:20
I live in Flatbush, working class community similar to Park Chester, nurses, sanitation workers, you name it, the the back essential workers, the backbone.
2:33:28
I went as as mentioned before, I used to think they were police helicopters overhead all the time.
2:33:32
They are not.
2:33:33
I I tell my neighbors, yes.
2:33:35
They are going to the Hamptons.
2:33:36
Yes.
2:33:36
They're going to JFK.
2:33:37
It is unfair.
2:33:38
They go over our neighborhood.
2:33:40
They go over East New York.
2:33:41
These were it is an economic I mean, equity issue that you have to address as well.
2:33:47
So thank you for your time.
2:33:48
Please push hard or push fast.
2:33:50
Get this done more at every level of government that we've moved this ball forward.
2:33:57
The sooner we'll be be done with this play, as my colleague said earlier.