I was going to start this by saying something like 'I know the mayor's time is valuable and there are certain moments when helicopter travel is appropriate..' but then I realized about the only moment I could come up with us "disaster photo op" which usually isn't a good use of time or money anyway. De Blasio isn't using it all that much, but I just have a hard time believing it isn't something a better scheduler and the occasional subway ride (he is not known to be a straphanger) wouldn't solve.
Yah driving around NYC can be a nightmare. Often the subway (or even walking!) is a better choice. If the subway isn't a better choice, it's probably because it's having increasing maintenance problems, something a mayor would be more familiar with if he rode it more.