Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Yes, New York City is a noisy place, but it might get a little quieter if legislation passes to cut back on helicopter sightseeing tours in the city.
Helicopter pilots who carry tourists over The Big Apple have agreed to reduce the number of tours they give by 50 percent by 2017, according to the Associated Press. That would mean tens of thousands fewer helicopter tours, officials said Sunday.
Residents have complained that the tours cause noise all day long and add to the pollution problem.
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John Dellaportas is president of Stop the Chop, a group that opposes the flights, AP reported.
"This so-called compromise actually entrenches the helicopter industry while doing nothing for New York City families, students, park goers and workers," Dellaportas said in a statement. "We will continue to push for a full ban and expect the City Council to see through this PR ploy for what it is."
A ban is what several New York City Council members originally wanted, according to a New York Business Journal article from July 2015.
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Of course, the helicopter tour industry didn't like that idea, claiming that it employed about 200 people in the city and that it had about $30 million of economic impact, the business journal said.
The deal says that the number of flights from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport will be decreased by about 30,000 by next year, AP reported. Beginning April 1, there would be no tourist flights on Sundays.
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