2023 New York Laws › PBA - Public Authorities › Article 5 - Public Utility Authorities › Title 9 - New York City Transit Authority › 1204-A - Rapid Transit Noise Code.

§ 1204-a. Rapid transit noise code. 1. As used in this section, unless
another meaning is indicated by the context:
a. "Authority" means the New York City Transit Authority.
b.  "Subways"  means  all  rail  rapid transit systems operated by the
authority including but not limited to rolling stock,  track  and  track
beds,  passenger  stations, tunnels, elevated structures, yards, depots,
and shops.
c. "New cars" means all those cars the purchase and/or construction of
which is contracted for subsequent to the enactment of this section.
d. "Screech" means any noise generated by wheel-track interactions  on
curves  or  by  brake application and which is a prominent discreet tone
above 1000 Hertz as defined by the American National Standards Institute
specifications (ANSIS1.13--1971).
e. "Sound pressure level" means twenty times the logarithm to the base
ten of the ratio of the root mean squared  pressure  of  a  sound  to  a
reference  pressure  of  twenty  micropascals.  The unit applied to this
measure shall be the decibel (dB).
f. "A-weighted sound level or (dBA)" means the  sound  pressure  level
measured  by  the use of an instrument with the metering characteristics
and A-weighting frequency response prescribed for  sound  level  meters.
The  sound level measurement system must meet or exceed the requirements
of the American National  Standard  Institute  Specification  for  Sound
Level  Meters  ANSI  S1.4--1971, approved April twenty-seventh, nineteen
hundred seventy-one,  throughout  the  applicable  frequency  range  for
either:
(a) A Type 1 sound level meter; or
(b) A Type 2 sound level meter; or
(c) A Type S sound level meter which has:
(1) an A-weighting frequency response; and
(2)  a  fast dynamic characteristic which complies with section 5.3 of
ANSI S1.4--1971; and
(3) a relative response level tolerance consistent with that of either
a Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meter, as specified  in  section  3.2  of
ANSI S1.4--1971.
g. "Equivalent sound level" means the energy-average of the integrated
A-weighted  sound  level  over  a  specified  observation  time T and is
identified by the symbol Leg.
2. The authority shall undertake a rail rapid transit noise  abatement
study,  incorporating  a  comprehensive  review  of the results of noise
abatement  studies  and  projects  done  for  or  by  the   Urban   Mass
Transportation   Administration  of  the  United  States  Department  of
Transportation and other mass transit systems. Such study shall evaluate
the range of strategies available for meeting the sound levels set forth
in the following sound level table, propose strategies and indicate  the
approximate  time  and necessary cost for meeting such sound levels, and
indicate the expected dBA reduction  of  each  proposed  strategy.  Such
study  shall  be submitted to the governor and the legislature, and made
available to the public, within one year of enactment of this section.
SOUND LEVEL TABLE
a.
 
EQUIVALENT SOUND
LEVEL                         PERCENT COMPLIANCE
within 4 years   within 8 years   within 12 years
of the           of the           of the
effective date   effective date   effective date
of this section  of this section  of this section
 
I. CAR INTERIOR
 
A. new cars    80dBA    100%              100%             100%
B. old cars    85dBA     20%               40%              70%
 
II. CURVE AND
 BRAKE SCREECH
 
A. new cars No Screech  100%              100%              100%
B. old cars No Screech   20%               60%              100%
 
III. STATION
TRAINS ENTERING,
LEAVING OR
PASSING THROUGH 105dBA   85%               90%              100%
90dBA   70%               80%               95%
85dBA   50%               60%               80%
80dBA    5%               15%               60%
 
IV. ELEVATED
 STRUCTURES
Sound level
to be
established  10%               30%               60%
b.  In  all  cases  noise  levels  shall  be measured so as to reflect
accurately the worst case of noise exposure at a specific location where
a noise abatement strategy has  been  implemented,  to  which  a  subway
passenger,  employee,  or any person who is within range of subway noise
could reasonably be exposed under  normal  operating  conditions.  Noise
measurements shall be made under the following conditions:
Car  interior: when the car is in motion at a speed of forty miles per
hour during normal operation with measurements in the center of the  car
and the microphone five feet above the floor.
Station: (express) when the train is in motion and passing in front of
the on-platform measuring point.
(local)  when  the train is in motion and any part of it is within the
station.
Car exterior (elevated tracks) when the train  is  in  motion  and  is
passing  in  front  of the point from which noise measurements are being
made.
c. All measurements shall be taken with fast dynamic characteristic of
the sound level measurement system. Energy equivalent measurements shall
normally  be  used;  provided,  however,  alternative  measures  may  be
proposed  to incorporate new instrumentation or analyses that may become
available.
3. Within six months of the completion of the study conducted pursuant
to subdivision two of this section, the authority shall  report  to  the
governor  and the legislature which strategies or portions of strategies
proposed by such study it has chosen to implement, and the schedule  for
such implementation.
To  the  extent,  if  any, that the authority's plan fails to meet the
standards specified in the sound table, the authority shall so state and
provide the reasons for its inability to meet such standards.
4. The authority shall submit to  the  governor  and  the  legislature
annual  reports  detailing  the  authority's progress to date in abating

subway noise. The report  shall  include,  but  not  be  limited  to  an
itemized  summary  of  all  monies  spent,  bids requested and received,
contracts let, and actual work done on noise abatement  programs  during
the  previous  period. Any and all subway noise measurements made during
the previous period shall be included, with, whenever possible, analyses
of such measurements.
Such annual report shall also  include  a  detailed  analysis  of  all
future  noise  abatement  activities  planned  for  the  upcoming twelve
months. These reports shall also  include  comprehensive  statements  of
progress  made on all planned noise abatement activities included in the
previous annual report.
Nothing herein shall preclude such report from being  incorporated  in
the authority's annual capital report submitted pursuant to the "capital
financing  and  services  system act of nineteen hundred eighty-one," so
long as it is  maintained  as  a  separate,  distinct  and  identifiable
component in such report.