Requires the New York city transit authority to outline in its annual report the procedures and methodologies used for the reduction and abatement of noise.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9474
SPONSOR: Hyndman TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the annual
report on the reduction and abatement of noise on the New York city
transit authority
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
For the MTA to further expand upon the methodologies and technologies
that influence the abatement and reduction of noise on MTA transit
systems
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds new language to subdivision 4 section 1204-a of the
public authorities law to further include any and all procedures and
methodologies used for the reduction and abatement of noise on all tran-
sit systems, which will include the techniques, procedures and technolo-
gies.
Section 2 is the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The MTA has been procuring a noise report since it was statutory author-
ized in 2019. While they do highlight measurements on noise reduction,
they do not include what technologies and methodologies used to reduce
noise.
It would benefit New Yorkers to have a publicly available outline of all
methodologies, measurement techniques, procedures and technologies to
maintain the transit system that play a role in the production or
reduction of noise. We'd like to see a correlation between transit
upgrades and what technologies in those upgrades reduce noise.
Noise reduction has been cited to improve learning in classrooms adja-
cent to transit means in addition to improving overall mental health of
New York residents. New York has spent record amounts of money on the
MTA in the last fiscal year and an update to the reporting on noise is a
relatively small ask.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9474
IN ASSEMBLY
March 14, 2024
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to the annual
report on the reduction and abatement of noise on the New York city
transit authority
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 1204-a of the public authorities
2 law, as amended by chapter 488 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read
3 as follows:
4 4. The authority shall submit to the governor and the legislature
5 annual reports detailing the authority's progress to date in abating
6 subway noise. The report shall include, but not be limited to an item-
7 ized summary of all monies spent, bids requested and received, contracts
8 let, and actual work done on noise abatement programs during the previ-
9 ous period. Any and all subway noise measurements made during the previ-
10 ous period shall be included, with, whenever possible, analyses of such
11 measurements. The authority shall further outline any and all procedures
12 and methodologies used for the reduction and abatement of noise on all
13 transit systems, which shall include, but not be limited to, measure-
14 ments used to assess effectiveness of noise abatement techniques, exist-
15 ing procedures and technologies to maintain the transit system that may
16 be relevant in the production of noise, and noise evaluations for new
17 equipment. The authority shall assess effectiveness of procedures in
18 each annual report.
19 Such annual report shall also include a detailed analysis of all
20 future noise abatement activities planned for the upcoming twelve
21 months. These reports shall also include comprehensive statements of
22 progress made on all planned noise abatement activities included in the
23 previous annual report.
24 Nothing [herein] in this subdivision shall preclude such report from
25 being incorporated in the authority's annual capital report submitted
26 pursuant to the "capital financing and services system act of nineteen
27 hundred eighty-one," so long as it is maintained as a separate, distinct
28 and identifiable component in such report.
29 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13419-02-4
