QUESTION
Would extremely wealthy individuals taking flights to JFK or the Hamptons travel from Lower Manhattan to New Jersey to board helicopters?
1:23:08
·
99 sec
Council Member Lincoln Restler questions whether affluent individuals, who significantly contribute to helicopter traffic to JFK or the Hamptons, would be willing to relocate their departure point to New Jersey for the sake of convenience and time-saving.
- Mikelle Adgate from the NYC Economic Development Corporation emphasizes that such decisions depend on available opportunities rather than individual preferences.
- Restler suggests the inconvenience of traveling to New Jersey would deter these wealthy individuals, thereby reducing helicopter traffic in neighborhoods.
- Adgate refrains from speculating on individual behavior.
- Restler concludes transferring helicopter departures to New Jersey would substantially diminish such activity, benefiting communities, though the EDC's stance remains unclear.
Lincoln Restler
1:23:08
Do you think that extremely wealthy people who were taking flights to JFK or the Hampton's would travel from Lower Manhattan to New Jersey to get on helicopters.
Mikelle Adgate
1:23:20
I think council member, the the point that that we're trying to make in terms of industry moving to other locations is less about the personal or individual choices of a a person or a company.
1:23:35
And more about what are the opportunities.
1:23:37
Let's just say for tour flights in particular that we do have the ability to control.
Lincoln Restler
1:23:43
Excuse me.
1:23:43
My question was, do you think that very wealthy individuals who go to the Hampton's or JFK that represent a significant amount of the helicopter travel that we all are burdened by in our communities.
1:23:52
Those people were just doing it for time.
1:23:54
Right?
1:23:54
They don't they're too rich and important and fancy to take cars or public transit like the rest of us.
1:24:00
Do you think they would take the time to go to New Jersey, to get on a helicopter, to go to the Hampton's or JFK?
Mikelle Adgate
1:24:05
Council member, I I really cannot speak to what would be something that that'll go person may or may not do.
Lincoln Restler
1:24:10
I just mean to say it would definitely take them more time.
1:24:12
They wouldn't do it.
1:24:13
It would eliminate that helicopter travel.
1:24:15
That would be to the benefit of our communities.
1:24:17
And some percentage of the tourists would choose not to go to New Jersey.
1:24:20
Some would, some wouldn't.
1:24:21
But ultimately, lead to a reduction in the total amount of helicopter activity that we are burdened by in our neighborhoods, and that would make it a positive thing.
1:24:29
We had to have no idea what EDC I mean, we know what EDC's policy is on our bills.
1:24:33
We didn't hear it today, unfortunately, because we didn't get a response in your testimony.
1:24:38
But it would inevitably help our neighborhoods to eliminate the nonessential tourism travel.
1:24:43
So the idea that all of it's just gonna move to New Jersey is not true.