Noise

Topic

√ NY Agencies

New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

DEP is the primary agency responsible for monitoring and regulating noise pollution in New York City. It enforces the city’s Noise Code, sets permissible noise levels, investigates noise complaints, and issues violations when necessary. DEP handles a wide range of noise sources, including construction, air conditioners, and music from bars and restaurants. Mayor’s Management Report

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)

DOHMH studies and addresses the health impacts of noise pollution in the city. It conducts research on how noise affects public health and develops programs to mitigate noise-related health issues. The department recognizes noise as a significant public health concern, citing risks such as hearing loss, stress, and cardiovascular effects. Mayor’s Management Report

New York City Police Department (NYPD)

NYPD responds to noise complaints related to disorderly conduct, loud music from vehicles, and public disturbances. Officers can issue summonses or make arrests for violations of noise-related laws and ordinances. Mayor’s Managment Report

New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

NYCHA addresses noise complaints from residents in public housing developments and enforces noise regulations specific to NYCHA properties.
Mayor’s Management Report

New York City Department of Transportation (DOT)

DOT develops and implements policies to reduce noise from traffic, street construction, and other transportation-related activities. It maintains and repairs city streets and infrastructure to minimize noise and conducts studies on transportation-related noise pollution. Mayor’s Management Report

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

NIOSH is a federal agency that conducts research and provides guidance on occupational health and safety, including the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss in workplace settings. While not a city agency, its guidelines inform best practices for noise exposure in occupational environments

√ Reports

DEP Noise Code

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has a detailed site that describes Noise Code & Enforcement Reporting. It covers enforcement of NYC Noise Code and rules for construction noise, residential noise and commercial noise. The DEP and NYPD share enforcement responsibilities under the Noise Code.

A GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY’S NOISE CODE

This booklet is designed to provide an overview of the Noise Code and some of the most common sounds of the city.

Effect of Noise and Light on Sleep in New York City

In 2016-2017, the NYC Ambient Noise/Light and Sleep Survey examined: the frequency and sources of ambient noise and light that cause sleep disturbance, measures taken to mitigate exposure to disruptive noise, and effect on concentration due to tiredness from poor sleep.

Noise in New York City Neighborhoods

In February 2016, the Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC) launched a public opinion survey to solicit information on noise in New York City neighborhoods to gain insight on the issue at the grassroots level and to serve as a risk assessment tool to inform its audit process.

NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT NOISE REDUCTION REPORT

This annual report provides an update for the previous year on capital investments and improved maintenance that contribute most to
reducing subway system noise.

PREVENTING NOISE-INDUCED HEARING LOSS AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

In the United States (US), an estimated 5 million children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years and 26 million adults aged 20 to 69 years have hearing loss associated with exposure to loud noise.

What Does NYC Do About Noise?

This pamphlet describes the process from complaint to enforcement.

New York City’s Environmental Justice for All Report

The City has committed to environmental justice with nation-leading legislation1 to investigate persistent environmental injustices and develop a plan to tackle these disparities. Noise is addressed.

DEP: Sound & Noise Education Module

These interactive, multi-disciplinary, STEM lessons and activities introduce students and teachers to the study of the New York City sound environment and the public health issues, both mental and physical, associated with noise.

Construction Noise Rules Regulations & Forms

Any person or business doing construction in the city must develop a Construction Noise Mitigation Plan before the start of construction or renovation.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

But sounds can be harmful when they are too loud, even for a brief time, or when they are both loud and long-lasting. These sounds can damage sensitive structures in the inner ear and cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Additional Sound and Noise Resources (DEP)

This NY Comptroller report outlines long-term trends and recent developments in the battle to save lives from being lost prematurely to substance use disorder.

DEP Noise Code

A GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY’S NOISE CODE

This booklet is designed to provide an overview of the Noise Code and some of the most common sounds of the city.

Effect of Noise and Light on Sleep in New York City

Noise in New York City Neighborhoods

NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT NOISE REDUCTION REPORT

This annual report provides an update for the previous year on capital investments and improved maintenance that contribute most to
reducing subway system noise.

PREVENTING NOISE-INDUCED HEARING LOSS AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

In the United States (US), an estimated 5 million children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years and 26 million adults aged 20 to 69 years have hearing loss associated with exposure to loud noise.

What Does NYC Do About Noise?

This pamphlet describes the process from complaint to enforcement.

New York City’s Environmental Justice for All Report

The City has committed to environmental justice with nation-leading legislation1 to investigate persistent environmental injustices and develop a plan to tackle these disparities. Noise is addressed.

DEP: Sound & Noise Education Module

Construction Noise Rules Regulations & Forms

Any person or business doing construction in the city must develop a Construction Noise Mitigation Plan before the start of construction or renovation.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Additional Sound and Noise Resources (DEP)

This NY Comptroller report outlines long-term trends and recent developments in the battle to save lives from being lost prematurely to substance use disorder.

√ Data sets

NYC Open Data: 311 Complaints

All 311 Service Requests from 2010 to present. it includes residential, street, vehicle and park noise complaints. This information is automatically updated daily.

Noise Project Data

The NOISE Project Centers equity in the fight against noise pollution. This is a data set of noise observations submitted via the mobile app

2020 Noise Data - USDOT

The dataset provides noise data to facilitate the tracking of trends in transportation-related noise.

√ Data visualizations

NYC311 Monitoring Tool

The Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC) created a new NYC311 Monitoring Tool drawing from the NYC311 dataset to include neighborhood-level insights on monthly requests by complaint type.

New York City is Getting Louder and Louder

RentHop used 311 noise complaints to create a series of visualizations that illustrate the impact of noise on city neighborhoods.

National Transportation Noise Map

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has started a national, multi-modal transportation noise mapping initiative to facilitate the tracking of trends in transportation-related noise as changes occur at an unprecedented rate.

√ STATISTICS

New Yorkers Disturbed by residential Noise

NYC Health

Americans with hearing loss due to noise

Million, NYC Health

Ringing or Hearing Loss

More than 30 million people in the U.S. have hearing loss due to exposure to loud noise. In New York City, nearly one in six adults report ringing in their ears or hearing loss.. Source: NYC Health

Noise at home

About 20% of New Yorkers say they are frequently disturbed by noise at home (PDF).. Source: NYC Health

New Yorkers Disturbed by residential Noise

NYC Health

Americans with hearing loss due to noise

Million, NYC Health

Ringing or Hearing Loss

More than 30 million people in the U.S. have hearing loss due to exposure to loud noise. In New York City, nearly one in six adults report ringing in their ears or hearing loss.. Source: NYC Health

Noise at home

About 20% of New Yorkers say they are frequently disturbed by noise at home (PDF).. Source: NYC Health

√ Non-Profits

The Quiet Coalition

The Quiet Coalition is a non-profit organization that advocates for quieter living environments. They work to raise awareness about the health impacts of noise pollution and advocate for policy changes to reduce noise levels in urban areas.

Citizens Committee for New York City

Citizens Committee for New York City is a non-profit organization that provides grants and resources to grassroots community groups working on a variety of issues, including noise pollution. They support community-led initiatives to address noise issues, such as the installation of noise barriers or the promotion of quiet public spaces.

New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC EJA)

NYC EJA is a non-profit organization that works to address environmental justice issues in low-income and communities of color in New York City. They advocate for policies that address noise pollution and other environmental hazards that disproportionately affect these communities.

The World Health Organization (WHO)

The WHO works on a variety of health issues, including environmental health. The WHO has published guidelines on environmental noise pollution, which provide recommendations for reducing exposure to noise pollution.

The Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC)

The CHC offers comprehensive care for individuals of all ages with hearing loss. Their services include hearing tests, hearing aid assistance, speech and language therapy, emotional health and wellness counseling, and educational support.

Stop the Chop

Stop The Chop NY/NJ is a grassroots organization formed to ban nonessential helicopter flights over the NY Metropolitan Area.

Quiet Communities

Leaf blowers, helicopters, motorcycles, and airplanes are just a few sources of noise that are imperiling public health. Quiet Communities works to address harmful noise because quieter settings are healthier for people and the environment.

√ Experts

ARLINE BRONZAFT - CUNY

Dr. Arline Bronzaft is a leading noise pollution researcher and advocate who has served on numerous governmental committees and published extensively on the effects of noise on health, particularly on children’s learning.

Erica D Walker - Brown University

Walker is an assistant professor of epidemiology at at the Brown University School of Public Health. She runs the Community Noise Lab, whose primary aim is to explore the relationship between community noise and health, holistically.

Julian Treasure - Sound Agency

Julian Treasure is the chair of the Sound Agency, a firm that advises worldwide businesses — offices, retailers, airports — on how to design sound in their physical spaces and communication. He also gave a TED Talk titled “Why architects need to use their ears.”

Jeanine Botta

Jeanine Botta is a noise pollution consultant who has worked with various organizations and businesses to reduce noise levels and improve acoustic conditions. Botta serves on the Technical Committee on Noise within the Acoustical Society of America.

Dr. Jamie Banks - Quiet Communities

Dr. Jamie Banks is the founder and executive director of Quiet Communities, a nonprofit organization that works to reduce noise pollution and promote healthy soundscapes in communities.

Craig Kasper - NYHD Institute For Hearing & Balance

Dr. Craig Kasper is a clinical audiologist and the founder and managing director of NYHD Institute For Hearing & Balance. He has conducted research on the effects of noise pollution on hearing and overall health.

√ Journal Articles

"Noise complaint patterns in New York City from January 2010 through February 2021"

This report examines socioeconomic disparities and COVID-19 exacerbations. Although socioeconomic disparities in acoustically measured and geospatially estimated noise have been established, less is known about disparities in noise complaints.

"Noise Expert Arline Bronzaft on the Impacts of Noise and Solutions for a Quieter World"

In anticipation of the 28th Annual International Noise Awareness Day—taking place April 26, 2023—the Center for Hearing and Communication (CHC) caught up with longstanding friend and ally Arline Bronzaft, PhD, who just happens to be one of the world’s leading authorities on noise.

"Sensor Networks Help Fight Floods and Noise Pollution"

NYU researchers are using distributed sensor networks to develop flood and noise protection measures.

"The "War on Noise": Sound and Space in La Guardia's New York"

This essay documents New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s “war on noise,” which he declared in 1935 and waged throughout his three terms in office. For La Guardia, noise was a symptom and even a cause of urban disorder, which flourished during the Great Depression and required a new set of strategies to bring under control.

"The Life of a New York City Noise Sensor Network"

To investigate and ultimately aid in the mitigation of urban noise, a network of 55 sensor nodes has been deployed across New York City for over two years, collecting sound pressure level (SPL) and audio data.

"The Diabolical Symphony of the Mechanical Age: Technology and Symbolism of Sound in European and North American Noise Abatement Campaigns, 1900-40"

This study argues that such a silence should be broken, since the sound of technology not only tunes our sonic environment, but has also been a highly controversial aspect of technology loaded with symbolic significance. Research into such a symbolism of sound enhances our understanding of the responses to technology-related changes in early 20th-century Western cities.

"Timeline: New York’s War on Noise"

For more than a century, politicians and polite-sounding organizations have battled the din of New York. Browse slide shows, video and articles from the archive chronicling the never-ending quest for quiet.

"An Exploratory Survey of Sound Levels in New York City Restaurants and Bars"

This study reports on an exploratory large-scale noise survey of sound levels of 2376 restaurants and bars in New York City using a novel smart-phone application and categorized them based on how quiet or loud they were.

"Traffic Noise & Transportation"

Studies have shown that some of the most pervasive sources of noise in our environment are those associated with transportation. Residences and businesses often are faced with increased highway traffic noise, both from newly constructed highways and from highways that are already in place.

"Impact of Noise on Health: The Divide between Policy and Science "

This article examines the research linking noise to health effects, question why governments have not seriously attempted to lower noise levels and suggest ways to lessen the din.

√ Key Issues

High Noise Levels

New York City is a densely populated urban area with a high level of vehicular traffic, construction activities, and entertainment venues, resulting in high levels of noise pollution. This has been a persistent issue for residents and has been linked to a range of health effects.

Disproportionate Impact on Marginalized Communities

Noise pollution tends to disproportionately affect marginalized communities, such as low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, due to factors such as proximity to highways and other noise sources. This has raised concerns about environmental justice and the need for targeted interventions to address noise pollution in these communities.

Lack of Awareness and Action

Despite the well-documented negative impacts of noise pollution, many people remain unaware of the issue and its potential health effects. There has been a call for greater public education and awareness-raising efforts around noise pollution, as well as more comprehensive action to address the problem.

Inadequate Noise Regulations

While the city has noise regulations in place, many residents and experts have criticized them as inadequate and difficult to enforce. Some have called for stricter noise standards and more effective enforcement mechanisms to curb noise pollution.

√ Social Media Accounts

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