Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Suffering for the sake of Long Islanders

From the Daily News:

The skies above northeast Queens have become deafening as helicopters comply with new routes designed to decrease the ear-splitting noise — for residents of Long Island.

Local leaders are calling on city and federal agencies to give residents a bit of peace and quiet and suspend the loudest routes.

“The noise and the vibration are unbearable,” said Alfredo Centola, president of the Malba Gardens Civic Association, which represents the wealthy, Queens community.

“It starts between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. and continues well past midnight,” Centola said of the noise, which is worst on weekends. “The houses shake. Things are falling off your shelves.”

The roar got louder last year after the Federal Aviation Administration mandated that choppers traveling between middle of Long Island and the Hamptons fly over water instead long-suffering dry-land residents.

As a result, many Hamptons-bound pilots fly over northeast Queens to reach the new Long Island route, a faster, cheaper and, for Queens residents, more annoying, way to go.

16 comments:

Arthur said...

Thanks Al for bringing this to his level. It has been horrendous. Hopefully it gets resolved quick

Anonymous said...

It's not just the route, it's the altitude. Airplanes have always flown over my neighborhood (Broadway-Flushing), but they flew at a high altitude. Now some still fly that high, but others come over my house while still climbing, and it's almost like I should ask the stewardess for a pillow. Starts at 6am.

Anonymous said...

Once again Al is in front of the pack serving his community. These helicopters have made life aroun here unbearable. Why should we suffer when there is an easy quick fix

Al always thanks Al.

Anonymous said...

Can we next address all the semis rolling down our streets?

Thanks Crappy!

Anonymous said...

Surely it's possible to engineer some sort of noise mitigator for the helicopters - cause no matter where they re-route a neighborhood will be crapped on.

Broadway Baby said...

There goe northeast Queens' property values.

Uh what does our little don-ette, Donetta Paulo Vallone, have to say? He lives here.

I'll bet that iIf he loses the election he'll probably move anyway.

UNLESS he gets that judgeship he wants so desperately.
Maybe he'll take the FAAA to court!

Anonymous said...

Can we next address all the semis rolling down our streets?

Yep, I've seen semis driving along 32nd Avenue, as well as Chinese and Korean buses - it's a nice, scenic route to get to downtown Flushing and avoid the traffic on Northern Blvd. And for the past few months it's even the city buses - I've seen out-of-service buses driving along 32nd Avenue through Broadway-Flushing, rather than taking the bus routes. Since buses run on 29th/Bayside Ave., Crocheron Ave., and Northern Blvd., why shouldn't the out-of-service buses be confined to those streets, too? Doesn't make sense.

Anonymous said...

Not to mention all the professional landscapers who begin work before 8am during the week, which is a violation of § 24–242 of the New York City Administrative Code:
(a) No person shall operate or use or cause to be operated or used any lawn care device:
(1) On weekdays before eight a.m. and after seven p.m. or sunset, whichever occurs later; or
(2) On weekends and New York state and federal holidays before nine a.m. and after six p.m.; or
(3) At any time in such a way as to create an unreasonable noise. [...]
(b) No person shall operate or use or cause to be operated or used any leaf blower not equipped with a functioning muffler.

The fine for a first-time violation ranges from $220 to $875, with up to $2,625 for repeat offenders. Think of all the money the city could make by enforcing this - with the benefit of having peace and quiet in the early morning hours. Except for those damn airplanes and helicopters, of course.

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with taking the Long Island sound out as far as Suffolk and then cut across to the Hamptons. Suffolk's where they are spending they're money anyway!

Anonymous said...

Why would you think that living next to an airport would bring you anything but noise? LGA is <10 miles away.

Anonymous said...

Well lets see... Hmmm!!! Maybe because this wasn't an issue up until this year!

Besides , the HELICOPTERS aren't taking off or coming from LGA.

Maybe ?

Whaddaya think?

Anonymous said...

I've lived in Broadway-Flushing since 1999, and the airplane noise was never as overpowering as it is since these new flight patterns. In the past, it would only be bad during the US Open tennis tournament, when the flights were-re-routed. (Thanks Mayor Dinkins!) Now it's just intolerable all day long, starting at 6am.

Anonymous said...

What I think is that helicopters flying that close to a residential neighborhood amounts to form of corporate terrorism and is blatantly unsafe.

Anonymous said...

You can see this from Manhasset, Its crazy never ending lights going in "steep spiral" north over Queens.
The engines on them airplanes must be cranked 100% to climb like that.
---Nuts !!

Anonymous said...

Let's build another USTA tennis stadium in northeast Queens. Then the FAA would never think of routing planes over us again.

Anonymous said...

You know what it would be like if one of these choppers auto rotated into these neighborhoods.