§ 1204-a. Rapid transit noise code.
1.As used in this section, unless\nanother meaning is indicated by the context:\n a. "Authority" means the New York City Transit Authority.\n b. "Subways" means all rail rapid transit systems operated by the\nauthority including but not limited to rolling stock, track and track\nbeds, passenger stations, tunnels, elevated structures, yards, depots,\nand shops.\n c. "New cars" means all those cars the purchase and/or construction of\nwhich is contracted for subsequent to the enactment of this section.\n d. "Screech" means any noise generated by wheel-track interactions on\ncurves or by brake application and which is a prominent discreet tone\nabove 1000 Hertz as defined by the American National Standards Institute\nspecifications (ANSIS1.13--1971).
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§ 1204-a. Rapid transit noise code. 1. As used in this section, unless\nanother meaning is indicated by the context:\n a. "Authority" means the New York City Transit Authority.\n b. "Subways" means all rail rapid transit systems operated by the\nauthority including but not limited to rolling stock, track and track\nbeds, passenger stations, tunnels, elevated structures, yards, depots,\nand shops.\n c. "New cars" means all those cars the purchase and/or construction of\nwhich is contracted for subsequent to the enactment of this section.\n d. "Screech" means any noise generated by wheel-track interactions on\ncurves or by brake application and which is a prominent discreet tone\nabove 1000 Hertz as defined by the American National Standards Institute\nspecifications (ANSIS1.13--1971).\n e. "Sound pressure level" means twenty times the logarithm to the base\nten of the ratio of the root mean squared pressure of a sound to a\nreference pressure of twenty micropascals. The unit applied to this\nmeasure shall be the decibel (dB).\n f. "A-weighted sound level or (dBA)" means the sound pressure level\nmeasured by the use of an instrument with the metering characteristics\nand A-weighting frequency response prescribed for sound level meters.\nThe sound level measurement system must meet or exceed the requirements\nof the American National Standard Institute Specification for Sound\nLevel Meters ANSI S1.4--1971, approved April twenty-seventh, nineteen\nhundred seventy-one, throughout the applicable frequency range for\neither:\n (a) A Type 1 sound level meter; or\n (b) A Type 2 sound level meter; or\n (c) A Type S sound level meter which has:\n (1) an A-weighting frequency response; and\n (2) a fast dynamic characteristic which complies with section 5.3 of\nANSI S1.4--1971; and\n (3) a relative response level tolerance consistent with that of either\na Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meter, as specified in section 3.2 of\nANSI S1.4--1971.\n g. "Equivalent sound level" means the energy-average of the integrated\nA-weighted sound level over a specified observation time T and is\nidentified by the symbol Leg.\n 2. The authority shall undertake a rail rapid transit noise abatement\nstudy, incorporating a comprehensive review of the results of noise\nabatement studies and projects done for or by the Urban Mass\nTransportation Administration of the United States Department of\nTransportation and other mass transit systems. Such study shall evaluate\nthe range of strategies available for meeting the sound levels set forth\nin the following sound level table, propose strategies and indicate the\napproximate time and necessary cost for meeting such sound levels, and\nindicate the expected dBA reduction of each proposed strategy. Such\nstudy shall be submitted to the governor and the legislature, and made\navailable to the public, within one year of enactment of this section.\n SOUND LEVEL TABLE\na.\nEQUIVALENT SOUND\n LEVEL PERCENT COMPLIANCE\n within 4 years within 8 years within 12 years\n of the of the of the\n effective date effective date effective date\n of this section of this section of this section\nI. CAR INTERIOR\nA. new cars 80dBA 100% 100% 100%\nB. old cars 85dBA 20% 40% 70%\nII. CURVE AND\n BRAKE SCREECH\nA. new cars No Screech 100% 100% 100%\nB. old cars No Screech 20% 60% 100%\nIII. STATION\nTRAINS ENTERING,\nLEAVING OR\nPASSING THROUGH 105dBA 85% 90% 100%\n 90dBA 70% 80% 95%\n 85dBA 50% 60% 80%\n 80dBA 5% 15% 60%\nIV. ELEVATED\n STRUCTURES\n Sound level\n to be\n established 10% 30% 60%\n b. In all cases noise levels shall be measured so as to reflect\naccurately the worst case of noise exposure at a specific location where\na noise abatement strategy has been implemented, to which a subway\npassenger, employee, or any person who is within range of subway noise\ncould reasonably be exposed under normal operating conditions. Noise\nmeasurements shall be made under the following conditions:\n Car interior: when the car is in motion at a speed of forty miles per\nhour during normal operation with measurements in the center of the car\nand the microphone five feet above the floor.\n Station: (express) when the train is in motion and passing in front of\nthe on-platform measuring point.\n (local) when the train is in motion and any part of it is within the\nstation.\n Car exterior (elevated tracks) when the train is in motion and is\npassing in front of the point from which noise measurements are being\nmade.\n c. All measurements shall be taken with fast dynamic characteristic of\nthe sound level measurement system. Energy equivalent measurements shall\nnormally be used; provided, however, alternative measures may be\nproposed to incorporate new instrumentation or analyses that may become\navailable.\n 3. Within six months of the completion of the study conducted pursuant\nto subdivision two of this section, the authority shall report to the\ngovernor and the legislature which strategies or portions of strategies\nproposed by such study it has chosen to implement, and the schedule for\nsuch implementation.\n To the extent, if any, that the authority's plan fails to meet the\nstandards specified in the sound table, the authority shall so state and\nprovide the reasons for its inability to meet such standards.\n 4. The authority shall submit to the governor and the legislature\nannual reports detailing the authority's progress to date in abating\nsubway noise. The report shall include, but not be limited to an\nitemized summary of all monies spent, bids requested and received,\ncontracts let, and actual work done on noise abatement programs during\nthe previous period. Any and all subway noise measurements made during\nthe previous period shall be included, with, whenever possible, analyses\nof such measurements.\n Such annual report shall also include a detailed analysis of all\nfuture noise abatement activities planned for the upcoming twelve\nmonths. These reports shall also include comprehensive statements of\nprogress made on all planned noise abatement activities included in the\nprevious annual report.\n Nothing herein shall preclude such report from being incorporated in\nthe authority's annual capital report submitted pursuant to the "capital\nfinancing and services system act of nineteen hundred eighty-one," so\nlong as it is maintained as a separate, distinct and identifiable\ncomponent in such report.\n