UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT

MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT
NEW YORK STATE SENATE
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL
August 8, 2u14
Bill ue Blasio
Nayoi
City Ball
New Yoik, NY 1uuu7
Beai Nayoi ue Blasio:
We wiite as iepiesentatives of communities affecteu by touiist helicoptei tiaffic ovei New
Yoik City anu New }eisey. We aie conceineu about the safety implications of uniegulateu
touiist helicoptei flights, as well as the helicopteis' impact on quality of life in
neighboihoous in both States that expeiience take-offs anu lanuings oi heavy flyovei
helicoptei tiaffic. These conceins aie especially ielevant touay, in light of what appeais to
be the uiamatic inciease in touiist helicopteis utilizing the City owneu Bowntown Belipoit.
Aftei a compiehensive examination of the Bowntown Belipoit anu this inuustiy, we have
ueteimineu that theie is a ieal lack of iegulations anu oveisight involving touiist helicoptei
tiaffic, anu in that context we stiongly iequest that the City of New Yoik anu the New Yoik
City Economic Bevelopment Coipoiation institute a ban of all touiist helicopteis utilizing
the Bowntown Belipoit as soon as possible.
Recently electeu officials fiom Biooklyn, Nanhattan anu Staten Islanu conveneu a meeting
with youi office to uiscuss this seiious issue. Subsequently, electeu officials fiom New
}eisey joineu the uiscussions suppoiting a ban on touiist helicopteis both fiom the
Bowntown Belipoit anu helipoits in New }eisey. Communities in both New Yoik anu New
}eisey unfoitunately have liveu with the effects of helicoptei tiaffic foi uecaues, anu have
long auvocateu foi a change in the way that city anu feueial agencies auuiess helicoptei
tiaffic. At the meeting attenueu with youi staff it was noteu that many insuimountable
obstacles to iesolution of safety anu noise conceins peisist, incluuing the lack of veiifiable
infoimation of the uaily volume of helicopteis tiaveling in the Buuson coiiiuoi, inauequate
mechanisms to tiack, ieceive, anu iesponu to constituent complaints anu the lack of any
enfoicement mechanism foi agieeu upon helicoptei flights paths ovei New Yoik City oi
New }eisey.
To auuiess these ieal quality of life issues of iesiuents of New Yoik anu New }eisey anu to
piotect the safety of helicoptei useis we uige you to eliminate all touiist flights anu tiaffic
fiom the City owneu Bowntown Belipoit as soon as possible. The status quo of laigely
uniegulateu flights that enuangei touiists anu uistuib the peace in Nanhattan, Biooklyn,
the Bionx, Staten Islanu anu New }eisey neighboihoous is unacceptable. We believe it is
Belicoptei Lettei to Nayoi ue Blasio
August 8, 2u14
Page 2 of 2
the iesponsibility of the City as the ownei of the Bowntown Belipoit to auuiess these veiy
ieal conceins anu issues. We look foiwaiu to woiking with you to implement this solution.
Sincerely,
JERROLD NADLER
Member of Congress
NYDIA VELAZQUEZ
Member of Congress
ERIC ADAMS
Brooklyn Borough President
GALE A. BREWER
Manhattan Borough President
SHELDON SILVER
Speaker, NYS Assembly
BRAD HOYLMAN
State Senator
VELMANETTE MONTGOMERY
NYS Senate
DIANE SAVINO
NYS Senate
DANIEL SQUADRON
NYS Senate
HERMAN D. FARRELL, JR.
NYS Assembly
DEBORAH GLICK
NYS Assembly
RICHARD GOTTFRIED
NYS Assembly
JOAN MILLMAN
NYS Assembly
FELIX W. ORTIZ
NYS Assembly
LINDA ROSENTHAL
NYS Assembly
MARGARET CHIN
New York City Council
COREY JOHNSON
New York City Council
STEVE LEVIN
New York City Council
MARK LEVINE
New York City Council
CARLOS MENCHACA
New York City Council
HELEN ROSENTHAL
New York City Council
cc: FAA Administrator, Michael P. Huerta
FAA Regional Administrator, Carmine Gallo