Latest news with #noisePollution
CTV News
31-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘I'm begging you to make it stop': FOI shows TTC has known blaring bus horns a problem for more than a year
A Toronto resident captured video of TTC buses blaring their horns outside his apartment, near Kipling Station for several minutes. Residents of a west-end condo building besieged by noise from blaring TTC bus horns say the city's transit agency has known about the problem, in detail, for more than a year, despite the fact that it continues to be an issue. One resident of the building, located across the street from Kipling Station, told last week that the bus horns sometimes blare for minutes at a time without interruption, at all hours of the day. The TTC said the problem occurs when somebody requests a ride while the driver is out of their seat, triggering an alarm that causes the bus horn to blare until shut off. The agency said it would issue a reminder to drivers to deactivate the feature when they leave their buses. However documents obtained through a freedom of information request (FOI) by one of the residents at the building and shared with show that the TTC investigated the issue in detail last year and has previously issued such reminders. Bus honking worst at 2 stations In fact, the TTC received 85 customer service complaints related to the driver's distress alarm/honking TTC vehicles system-wide between June 2023 and January 2024, mainly from residents living near subway stations, the documents show. In that period, there were 76 complaints – 10.8 per month – about honking buses, according to an investigation, titled 'Driver's Distress Alarms: Investigation into why complaints are increasing.' Of those complaints, 19 of them related to Kipling Station, while 17 related to Runnymede Station. Other stations where there were multiple complaints about honking included Eglinton West (3), Keele (2) and Ossington (2). According to the document, the honking time ranged from as little as 30 seconds to as much as 10 minutes, with an average duration of two to three minutes. TTC buses TTC buses are pictured at the bus terminal at Kipling Station. (Google) Staff culture cited as an issue Breaking down the problem, TTC staff identified the root cause as operators forgetting or neglecting to disarm the alarm before leaving the bus with customers on board. Staff wrote that many of the newly hired operators are still learning on the job and that could be a contributing factor. However TTC staff also cited a secondary root cause around staff culture. 'Operators are hesitant to respond to the activation of a distress alarm on another bus, for fear of reprisal from Management, causing a potential conflict with a fellow operator, and exposing themselves to an uncomfortable or unsafe situation – lacking a sense of 'I am my brother's/sister's keeper,'' staff wrote in the investigation. Other contributing factors cited in the report included training gaps, difficulty identifying drivers who forget to deactivate the alarm, an insufficient supervisory presence at stations where there is a frequent problem, and two newer bus models which may have louder-than-average horns. Bus horns The TTC found that blaring bus horns sometimes droned on for as long as 10 minutes without being deactivated. The report also found that some operators may be ignorant or indifferent about the impact to nearby residents. 'Operators do not know, appreciate, or care about the impact to residents,' staff wrote, noting an attitude that 'If it's not my bus, it's not my problem.' Video submitted to the TTC by residents showed staff passing by buses with blaring horns without investigating. In a statement to TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said there was 'no data to support this observation,' referring to the investigation's finding that staff avoided turning off alarms for fear of confrontation with colleagues. He also dismissed the investigation's finding that operators were ignorant or indifferent to the noise as an 'anecdotal observation' and said there was nothing to suggest it is a widespread problem. 'This behaviour would be addressed in real time,' Green said. 'I honestly wish I was exaggerating' The TTC investigation also included examples of past complaints from customers about the issue, many of them pleading with the agency to do something about the constant noise. 'I'm not sure what causes the buses (sic) horns to go off so regularly but I'm begging you to do something to make it stop,' wrote one person who said their mental health had been affected. 'I live across from Ossington subway station's bus terminal and every day a bus's horn sounds for around 1 minute, sometimes longer. This occurs sometimes 5-10 times a day. I honestly wish I was exaggerating. It is VERY loud and wakes up my child from sleep almost every time which makes it very stressful for me.' Other customers said they understood the horn was a security feature, but said the noise was nonetheless constantly disruptive and that another solution should be found if drivers cannot be relied upon to deactivate the alarms. Honking complaints A January, 2024 TTC investigation into increased complaints around driver distress alarms included numerous examples of complaints from area residents disturbed by the frequent sound. 'The horn is piercing. It just pierces through the windows and just through all the other noise that's around the station,' Peter Mahase told Mahase, who moved to the area with his wife several years ago after living in other buildings downtown, filed the FOI after the situation dragged on despite complaints. 'We understood there would be some noise around TTC stations, but it really became a problem when we had our baby, and that's when I really ramped up my complaints to the TTC and reached out to the city councillor, and my next step was to reach out to media. I'm glad one of my neighbours did,' Mahase said. Usefulness of the feature not clear In his work as a safety manager for federal government workplaces, Mahase said, safety features are constantly being evaluated for effectiveness. That experience, he said, made him wonder whether the out-of-seat alarms are actually effective safety features, or just a noise nuisance. 'I really wanted to understand, what is this actually doing? If it's an alarm for the drivers, it is really not summoning anybody to the bus,' Mahase said. Bus operators have an alarm they can activate with the push of a button near the driver's seat. But there is also a driver's distress alarm that can be activated by using the ride-request string or button from anywhere on the vehicle if the driver is out of their seat, according to the TTC. The feature is designed to allow drivers to sound an alarm from anywhere on the bus if necessary. Drivers are supposed to disable the feature when they leave a bus idling with customers on-board, but frequently forget. According to the TTC, the feature is meant primarily for operator safety and has been effective in the field in the past. Several solutions already in progress In its investigation in 2024, TTC staff said the preferred suite of solutions would involve continuing to remind operators to disarm the alarm if they are leaving the bus with customers onboard, but adding 'face-to-face supervisor to operator engagement and education of the procedure and expectations.' The report also recommended follow-up with operators identified in complaints, adding more supervision at high-incident stations, and improving training. Green said all of those proposed solutions from the 2024 investigation have already been implemented. TTC bus Customers board a TTC bus at a subway station in this file photo. (Joshua Freeman) 'We acknowledge and apologize to our impacted neighbours for this inconvenience,' Green said. 'There is a lot of work being done behind the scenes to address this…everything from operational reminders in the division to mechanical solutions.' He said the TTC is also looking into workarounds based on the specific model of bus that has been identified as having a problem more frequently. Information about the problem 'siloed' Mahase said the other reason he filed the FOI was to see how his complaints were being handled. Months after he obtained the documents through the FOI, Mahase said, the honking was still an issue. So he contacted customer service again. When he cited the findings of the investigation, customer service asked in December if he could share the TTC's own report with them. 'It is ludicrous,' Mahase said. 'It doesn't make it any better, but I see how it does happen where departments within an organization are siloed and information doesn't really get where it should.' The TTC confirmed that its customer service department received the documents from Mahase in December. Mahase said he did notice that after he shared the staff investigation with customer service, there was a noticeable decrease in the number of daily incidents. Still, it continues to be a problem. Lucas Laporta, another resident who lives in the same building, previously told CP24 that he's documented at least 67 occurrences since November 2023. Separate documents included in the FOI Mahase filed show driver training has been updated to include a reminder about deactivating the alarm when operators leave the bus and the TTC has said it is reminding current operators about the issue. However Mahase said it feels like the TTC is blaming the bus drivers for a bad system that nobody seems to be taking ownership of. 'I asked the TTC, like, what other measures can you implement that takes the driver out of the equation, even to do a safety assessment to see if it (the driver distress alarm) is even effective and needed? So they said it was built in with the buses. That's as far as really I got.' 'More than a nuisance' Speaking with Coun. Stephen Holyday said he's familiar with noise complaints as a city councillor, but the noise from the bus horns is more than background sound. 'It's a busy, busy transit hub. There is a rail corridor and so on, but, but this is next level,' Holyday said. 'You know, a blaring horn for several minutes is beyond what the background (noise) is, for sure.' Holyday does not represent the ward that includes Kipling Station, but he does frequently use the station as a councillor for a nearby ward. 'Somebody is accountable to the public on this, and whether that is the operators or the management, I'm not sure, but somebody is, and I think that they should be resolving this as quickly as possible. This is more than nuisance. This is a health impact for people.' He added the problem seems like a 'very technical issue' that the TTC could resolve through better procedures. TTC Chair Jamal Myers' office said he was not available for an interview as he is out of town. Coun. Amber Morley represents the area, but her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mahase said he's concerned that with an emphasis around developing transit-oriented communities in the GTA, that quality of life around transit stations is not being considered or taken seriously as those communities are built. 'They're not looking at it from a safety perspective. In what they sent me, they're looking at it from a customer complaint perspective, which is kind of disappointing.'
CBC
28-07-2025
- General
- CBC
East Vancouver residents frustrated by ongoing truck traffic detour
Social Sharing Residents in Vancouver's Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood are calling on the Port of Vancouver to put a stop to loud container trucks detouring by their homes after years of disruptive noise and engine smoke. The ongoing detours date back to 2010 and 2011. The neighbours say they were promised the change would be temporary. Now they're realizing it might be permanent. "The container trucks are just blasting through the road, going uphill, revving their engines, shaking the building, rattling the windows," said Hastings-Sunrise resident Carlo Sombero. "And it's just very triggering, especially when it comes to our health, because we're breathing in pollution." "I think we're betrayed, sort of," said Rosemarie Sombero, Carlo's mom. "Because we trust[ed] a compromise with that temporary thing, temporary traffic [detour] — and later, it's kind of dissolved." Clark Drive ramp closures Northbound trucks used to use the Clark Drive ramp at the Port of Vancouver, bypassing much of the adjacent neighbourhood using Commissioner Street. But for years, trucks have been taking a different route. Residents say the container trucks now come north along Powell and Dundas streets and then Nanaimo to McGill streets. According to a city report, the Clark Drive ramp initially closed in August 2010. By spring 2011, complaints about container trucks in the neighbourhood rose. Michelle Brown-Colistro, a mother living on Dundas, said she's concerned about the dangers of truck traffic in the area. "Just the other day I saw a truck run a red light," Brown-Colistro said. "I witnessed a car accident last year, where a container truck drove over a small sedan, so the safety implications for this community with young children are huge." Residents say they want the Clark Drive entrance open again. The Port of Vancouver didn't make someone available for an interview, but in a statement told CBC News the entrance doesn't work anymore for inbound trucks, and "is physically constrained for surge capacity or truck queues, which is often needed due to rail crossings and peak congestion times." It said the existing setup has improved traffic, emissions and truck staging, and most truck activity is on weekdays in the daytime. Residents may have to endure trucks until the fall Vancouver's transportation director, Paul Storer, says it's ultimately up to the port to decide how it uses its gates. "If there is a way to work with the port to reduce the number of trucks there, whether that's opening the Clark Drive entry or some other way, we'll look at that," said Storer. He said the Clark Drive entry was reopened between 2014-2019, but it has since been closed again. Storer said the port is currently collecting data on the number of trucks and where they're coming from, and he expects to hear some options from the port in the fall. He didn't specify what those options might entail. But while the neighbours say they're fed up and need a solution now, it appears they're going to have to endure more noise and smoke for the rest of the summer — or longer.
Irish Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Drone delivery company Manna expects approval for quieter aircraft within months
Drone delivery company Manna expects to have regulatory approval for new technology that would cut noise pollution from its aircraft by 40 per cent within months. The company has drawn criticism from members of the Oireachtas and the public alike due to noise complaints after it set up a facility near Blanchardstown Centre last year, where its base is surrounded by popular fast-food chains and cafes. Flying at 60km/h at a height between 50m and 65m, the drones can deliver food or coffee to local areas within three minutes, the company has said. Manna chief executive Bobby Healy appeared before the Oireachtas transport committee on Wednesday and told TDs and Senators the company has developed and tested new technology that reduces noise levels by 40 per cent. READ MORE The technology involves new propellers and a reduction in the mass and weight of the aircraft. He said Manna has been in talks with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) about its plans 'for several months', and that it is currently awaiting approval for deployment. Mr Healy said Manna has been testing the new technology at its facility in Moorock, Co Offaly. 'We continue to invest in technology to go even further — and we foresee a future where people will barely hear us at all,' he said. While Mr Healy admitted the drones currently make a 'noticeable' sound, he claimed it was 'generally unobtrusive'. The drones currently fly at a maximum of 65 metres above ground, and the reduced mass would allow them to fly at 80 metres, while a lighter aircraft also has 'a big impact' on decibel levels, Mr Healy said. 'Leading experts in acoustics science from Trinity College assessed our aircraft and found that while cruising at 80m, they emit just 57 decibels – quieter than a conversation – and only for around 10 seconds as they pass overhead,' Mr Healy said. He said the 'noisiest part' of the delivery is when the drone arrives overheard and descends to 15m. 'It's pretty loud, I will admit,' he said. 'It's about 59 decibels. We will bring that down to about 55 with our new propellers and our mass reduction.' Mr Healy said that while approval and its timing was a matter for the IAA, he expects it to happen within months. 'I can't say when we can expect the permission, but it's quite a tight regulatory process,' he said. 'We have submitted all the documents. I do feel it [will be] soon. It could be weeks, it could be months, but certainly not further.' IAA chief operating officer Jim Gavin, also appearing before the committee, described the regulatory process as 'quite complex', but added that he would expect to see 'movement on it in the short-term'. Manna raised $30 million (€25.6 million) in funding earlier this year as part of plans to expand its business in Ireland and further afield. It has also lodged plans with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for an aerial food delivery hub in Dundrum.
CTV News
08-07-2025
- CTV News
‘Wish I would have never moved here': Noise from ATVs has Martensville man considering move
A feud is brewing in Martensville, Saskatchewan over the noise of vehicles like dirt bikes and ATVs puttering through the town. The predominantly off-road vehicles are allowed in the city limits under certain guidelines, but one resident is trying to get the wheels in motion to eliminate them entirely. 'I've told the mayor that I wish I would have never moved here. I would rather live someplace else where there's a little bit more safety without endless noise pollution,' Punch Archer told CTV News. Archer has taken videos of the ATVs on the road outside his home in Martensville's northeast corner. Now, he's taken the issue, and his videos, to city council. Martensville ATVs (Courtesy: Punch Archer) 'We moved here three years ago to live close to the city, but not in a city, in a community that was, as Martensville website [says], quote, 'safe and quiet.' Well, it didn't take us two days to realize that that was not the case,' he said. Noise is not the only concern he has about the vehicles. Drivers often speed above the 60-kilometre limit, he says, and he routinely sees children driving the vehicles. SGI issuer and customer support director Curtis Mead tells CTV News that municipalities decide what works best for their community when it comes to ATVs. Provincially, Mead says those between the ages of 12 and 16, the legal driving age, must follow specific rules when driving ATVs on public property. 'You can't travel on the road except to cross, but you have to be accompanied by someone who has a license or took an ATV training,' Mead said. In nearby Warman, their city bylaw states that ATVs cannot be driven anywhere within city limits. That's what Archer wants to see in Martensville. 'I want to live in a safe community, and I want to live in a quiet community,' Archer said. The City of Martensville is currently conducting a survey on the issue. '[The] process will run throughout the summer until September. Feedback will help inform potential changes to municipal bylaws, as well as guide improvements in public education and enforcement,' the city says. Archer is concerned the survey may not be effective if not enough residents know about it. Martensville RCMP told CTV News in an email it's encouraging the public to 'keep safety top of mind when driving.' 'Traffic laws apply to all automotive vehicles. This includes following the posted speed limits and not distracted driving. Drivers who violate the road regulations may be ticketed.' In his research, Archer says he discovered another resident brought the issue up back in 2016, but didn't see results. 'If I see they're actively doing something, you know, I'm willing to work with you guys in one way or another,' he says. He plans to attend a city council meeting Tuesday, where the issue is on the agenda.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists make disturbing discovery at one of most remote locations on Earth: 'Increased levels of the stress hormone'
The noise pollution caused by human intervention in Antarctica could be negatively affecting the well-being of local wildlife, a study has revealed. Researchers at Uruguay's University of the Republic and Spain's Pompeu Fabra University explored whether a power generator could be heard from 2 kilometers away in an Antarctic Specially Protected Area called Ardley Island. The location is an important breeding ground for several seabird species, and marine mammals frequent the area to molt and feed. It is also, however, near the Fildes Peninsula, which is one of the most densely populated places in Antarctica, with bases set up by multiple countries. Through the use of recording devices that monitored sound for five minutes every hour, the team concluded that the generator in question was heard from the protected area 2 km away. Research has shown that human noise can be a significant stressor on wild animal populations, impacting communication and social interactions among species. As noise encroaches on an animal's ecosystem, it can have concerning consequences. "Animals typically respond to noise exposure by altering their usual behavior, including changes in the type and frequency of vocalization and efficiency in foraging and responding to predators," explained Martín Rocamora, one of the study researchers. "They may also develop hearing loss or increased levels of the stress hormone." For marine populations, noise pollution is amplified by overheating oceans, as warmer, more acidic water streamlines sound waves. When the natural behavior of a species is interrupted, it affects the welfare of the whole ecosystem. The National Park Service notes that with noise pollution at play, animals may not be able to communicate for mating, they may miss cues that help them avoid predators, and they may avoid noisy areas altogether, limiting their hunting grounds and habitats. The researchers have to corroborate their findings with additional insight into exactly how the generator's noise pollution affects local wildlife. However, they hope their study creates a sense of urgency on the peninsula to incorporate acoustic monitoring strategies into the management plans of Ardley Island and other ASPAs. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
