The BHB Community has spoken. You really, really hate helicopter noise over Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn Heights and beyond. Sure, we sorta knew that already but our online survey proves it.
A huge majority – 87.6% – of respondents to our Chop the Choppers survey say they’re bothered by helicopter noise in the neighborhood. Eighty-six percent say they’ve noticed an increase in chopper noise here since April 1, when all tourist helicopters began flying out of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport directly across the East River from Brooklyn Heights. Only 10.9% said the chopper noise doesn’t bother them “at all”.
As for a solution – 41.6% favor a total ban of tourist helicopter flights while a 35.5% favor a four hour quiet period or longer. And while most of the respondents sided with the Brooklyn Heights Association’s position of total ban 71.5% of those taking the survey said they do not belong to any local neighborhood group.
One respondent sums up the Brooklyn Heights chopper zeitgeist saying, “I’ve found helicopter noise to be subordinate to truck noise on the BQE (the Atlantic Ave overpass is about 100 ft. from our home), and while I’ve been aware of the increased flights, it’s not actually the noise that bothers me. It’s the arrogance of the flight operators and the Mayor, who feel that profits and income should always trump the effects on the public’s quality of life.”
We posted the survey on Sunday and closed it tonight at 8:30pm. One hundred and thirty seven readers participated. Thank you!
