After delaying his decision, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has signed a law requiring tour bus operators to replace loud speakers with headphones. (DNAinfo/Jill Colvin)By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
On Tuesday, Bloomberg surprised followers by delaying signing the bill after members of the Transportation Workers Union complained that the move to headsets could jeopardize the jobs of live tour guides if bus operators decide to replace them with recordings.
The City Council passed the bill in April in response to residents' complaints that the noise from the buses was driving them mad.
It was only the second time that Bloomberg had declined to sign a bill at this late stage in the process.
But after consulting with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the mayor decided Wednesday to sign the bill into law, saying he is confident that it strikes "the appropriate balance” between the tourism industry and residents' quality of life.
“I heard the concerns of tour guides who worry that tour bus companies may prefer to use recordings," Bloomberg said in a statement Wednesday.
"But I agree with Speaker Quinn that requiring the system to be silent as opposed to amplified shouldn’t change the demand for live guides."
And operators probably shouldn't be too surprised at Bloomberg's move.
"My inclination is that in the end I will wind up signing this bill,” Bloomberg had warned Tuesday.
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