QUESTION
What are the city's efforts to further address helicopter noise concerns from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH)?
0:22:26
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82 sec
The New York City Economic Development Corporation has required a 30% reduction in operating hours and a plan from the new DMH operator to incentivize quieter, lower-emission helicopter operations.
- There has been a 50% reduction in annual flights at DMH from 60,000 to 30,000 flights previously.
- The new operator must submit a plan to further incentivize helicopter operators to operate with less noise and emissions.
- The goal is an ongoing reduction of helicopter tour flights from DMH over time.
- The operator is expected to propose diversifying uses of the heliport beyond tourism flights.
Amanda FarÃas
0:22:26
Can you provide an update on the city's efforts to address helicopter noise concerns since the 2016 agreement that reduced tourist flights, any successes and challenges?
Jennifer Sun
0:22:38
Thanks for the question, council member.
0:22:40
As I highlighted in my testimony, we have renewed our focus on areas within the concession agreement where we might have an ability to further address quality of life complaints.
0:22:52
And so in this most recent procurement of the DMH in seeking a new operator, we did require that they respond and submit a plan from their perspective of how they can work with EDC and the city council in further incentivizing helicopter operators to operate in a way that has less emissions and less noise.
0:23:17
So for example, in addition to the 50% reduction of annual flights at DMH from 60,000 flights to 30,000 flights, we have required in this new procurement a further reduction of operating hours by 30%.
0:23:33
And we're looking forward to a private response to how they might further incentivize and diversify the uses of the heliport.
0:23:43
So that there is an ongoing reduction of helicopter tour flights from DMH over time.