Timeline

Selected milestones in the history of noise pollution awareness, research, activism, and legislation.

Many additional events, campaigns, studies, legal actions, and local efforts–led by researchers, advocates, policymakers, community groups, and individuals–have contributed to defining moments in how noise has been understood and addressed.

The entries included here reflect only a portion of that broader history, and the information provided should be understood as partial and evolving, not a complete record.

1906

Julia Barnett Rice, a physician and social reformer, founded the Society for the Suppression of Unnecessary Noise in New York City.

The society framed noise as a public-health issue, emphasizing its effects on sleep, the nervous system, illness, and recovery—not merely as a nuisance. Within a few years, the movement had shifted from novelty and publicity toward ordinances, enforcement discussions, and formal reviews of progress by city authorities.

The New York City Board of Education granted Julia permission to establish a children’s branch of her Society, focused on preventing unnecessary noise–particularly near hospitals and medical centers.

1907

Passage of the Bennett Act, sponsored by New York Representative William M. Bennett. The law authorized steamboat inspectors to regulate whistle use within their jurisdictions.

1921

At a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences, otologist and inventor Georges René Marage warned that street and household noise caused neurological strain, mental fatigue, and reduced hearing sensitivity.

His lecture framed urban noise as a medical and public-health problem rather than a mere annoyance. Marage also proposed early acoustic countermeasures, such as low-frequency masking devices, and argued that governments had a responsibility to introduce restrictive noise measures to protect public health and future generations.

English engineer Henry John Spooner proposed the creation of an annual Anti-Noise Day, intended to draw public attention to the health and social effects of excessive noise.

Modeled on earlier industrial fatigue and public-health campaigns, the idea reflected growing recognition–well before modern noise codes–that urban noise was a serious problem requiring collective awareness and behavioral change, not just individual tolerance.

1925

American engineer Homer Clyde Snook conducted some of the earliest systematic measurements of urban noise, including studies of automobile and street sound levels using electrical measuring instruments developed through telephone engineering.

Snook’s work marked a transition from subjective complaints about noise to objective, instrument-based measurement, demonstrating that city noise could be quantified, compared, and analyzed scientifically. These early measurements helped lay the foundation for later standardization of sound levels and the eventual adoption of the decibel as a common unit in noise regulation.

1929

Julia Barnett Rice dies. Her advocacy helped secure passage of the 1907 Bennett Act, regulating unnecessary noise. Her work improved conditions for students and hospital patients in New York City and influenced anti-noise activism nationwide.

The city’s Noise Abatement Commission began systematic noise studies using newly developed measuring instruments from telephone engineering, introducing the decibel–named after Alexander Graham Bell–as a standard unit of sound measurement.

Alongside field measurements in places like Times Square, the commission published questionnaires in newspapers, asking residents to report which noises disrupted their sleep, marking a turn toward data-driven analysis and public participation in defining urban noise problems.

1930

The Noise Abatement Commission published City Noise, an extensive report that treated urban noise as a measurable and solvable problem.

The study outlined practical methods to reduce noise at its source, including quieter subway and elevated railway design, less noisy methods of building construction, and proposed amendments to the city’s sanitary code, marking a significant step toward scientifically informed noise regulation.

1935

New York City’s modern anti-noise campaign gained momentum through the efforts of Ernest Henry Peabody, an engineer who founded the League for Less Noise after finding the city’s growing din intolerable.

New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia launches a campaign for noiseless nights, urging residents to reduce unnecessary noise and treat quiet as a civic responsibility.

The mayor’s office received roughly 20,000 letters in response, revealing how deeply noise affected daily life across the city and cutting across neighborhoods and social classes.

La Guardia declared noise to be both a public-order and quality-of-life issue. Widely covered in the press and reinforced through radio addresses and proclamations, the campaign marked one of the most forceful efforts by a city administration to treat noise as a citywide problem requiring public cooperation and structural change.

1936

New York City enacted its first comprehensive noise code, formally restricting a range of common urban noise sources.

The ordinance prohibited the prolonged and unreasonable blowing of horns, limited the playing of radios and musical instruments at night, and banned the use of drums, loudspeakers, or similar devices to attract attention to merchandise. It also addressed excessive noise near locations such as schools, hospitals, and courts.

As the city’s first anti-noise bill to become law, the measure reflected growing recognition that noise was a persistent civic problem requiring clear standards and enforceable regulation.

1937

The International Conference on Acoustics in Paris reflected growing interest in standardizing methods for measuring sound and defining noise in technical terms, marking a shift toward treating urban noise as a quantifiable environmental problem suitable for regulation and engineering solutions.

1941

Sponsored by the National Noise Abatement Council, public awareness posters were distributed to more than 200 cities during Noise Abatement Week, held June 1–7.

1955

New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner established a Committee for a Quiet City to study urban noise, identify its sources, and support public campaigns as part of the city’s postwar noise-abatement efforts.

1966

Citizens for a Quieter City, Inc. was founded by Robert Alex Baron. He gave up his career as a theatrical manager to focus on noise pollution research and activism.

1970

Publication of The Tyranny of Noise by Robert Alex Baron, a foundational work documenting the social, health, and regulatory dimensions of noise pollution.

New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay convened a Task Force on Noise Control, which undertook a three-year study of noise conditions across New York City.

The findings were published in a report titled Toward a Quieter City, concluding that urban sound levels had become “intense, continuous, and persistent enough to threaten basic community life.”

The New York City Council on the Environment was created as a nonprofit group in the mayor’s office.

It acted as an umbrella organization to coordinate environmental programs and public education in the city. They joined with the Department of Environmental Protection to create educational campaigns for schools, libraries and public transportation.

1971

Citizens for a Quieter City opened a storefront in Manhattan where residents could file complaints about problem noise. A complaint review board evaluated submissions and, depending on the case, took action.

1972

The Federal Noise Control Act directed the Environmental Protection Agency to address noise pollution that “jeopardizes health and welfare” and created the Office of Noise Abatement and Control (ONAC).

ONAC conducted research, launched public education campaigns, and established federal noise standards for aircraft, railroads, and interstate motor vehicles.

1973

The Department of Sanitation, in collaboration with the Noise Abatement Bureau, introduces new trucks outfitted with hydraulic compactors designed to reduce noise levels.

Transportation Alternatives was founded as a nonprofit organization in New York City to promote non-polluting, quiet alternatives to automobiles and influence the city’s transportation priorities.

1975

Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., with Dennis McCarthy conducted a widely cited study in a New York City public elementary school examining the effects of chronic environmental noise on children’s learning.

Classrooms located alongside elevated train tracks, and thus exposed to frequent train noise, showed lower reading scores than comparable classrooms on the quieter side of the building, despite similar socioeconomic and instructional conditions.

After noise abatement measures were implemented, reading performance improved, contributing to broader recognition of noise as an environmental factor that can interfere with learning and informing later research and public health discussions.

1977

British Airways introduces supersonic transatlantic flights operating out of Kennedy Airport, with aircraft noise causing severe disturbances for nearby residents.

1980

Robert Alex Baron dies. Following Baron’s death, Citizens for a Quieter City becomes inactive.

A citizen-led group known as the Big Screechers emerged in New York City. They campaigned for transportation reform citing previous research that children’s test scores dropped in schools located near elevated subway stations.

1981

The Office of Noise Abatement and Control (ONAC) was defunded during the Reagan administration.

Congress eliminated ONAC’s funding as part of broader federal budget cuts and a shift toward “New Federalism,” returning primary responsibility for noise control to state and local governments. Although the office formally ceased operations, the Environmental Protection Agency retained limited residual authority under existing noise regulations.

1982

The New York State Legislature enacted the Rapid Transit Noise Code, a 10-year capital improvement program requiring the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to implement noise-reduction measures, including installing welded rail and upgrading rail cars with air-conditioning so windows could remain closed between stations.

Under New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch’s administration, the Department of Environmental Protection installs “Don’t Honk” signs in neighborhoods found to exceed noise limits.

1993

The Department of Environmental Protection travels in squad cars with police officers to cite motorists for amplified sound systems in their vehicles, commonly known as boom cars, under an enforcement effort called Operation Soundtrap.

1996

The New York City Police Department establishes a Quality of Life Hotline, a toll-free telephone line that allows residents to report non-emergency violations of law or city ordinances.

1998

New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani announced a civility campaign aimed at curbing everyday urban disturbances, including blaring car alarms, as part of his broader vision of improving quality of life in New York City.

He argued that striving toward an ideal of public order and civility–even if never fully achieved–would lead to continual social improvement, and pledged to strengthen enforcement of existing laws, such as fines for car alarms sounding longer than three minutes.

The City of Los Angeles banned the use of gas-powered leaf blowers within 500 feet of residential properties. With no meaningful enforcement, leaf blowers continued to define the Los Angeles soundscape.

1999

The World Health Organization (WHO), a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN), published a report titled Guidelines for Community Noise, which addressed noise pollution as a significant public health concern.

2001

In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the New York City Police Department redirected substantial resources toward security and counterterrorism in response to credible external threats.

This period also accelerated a broader shift toward more militarized equipment and tactical posture in urban policing.

2002

New York City police officers were trained to use noise meters and deployed to the city’s noisiest neighborhoods to target violations in progress. Known as Operation Silent Night, the yearlong initiative resulted in thousands of arrests and summonses.

2003

The New York City Police Department establishes a 311 non-emergency line, allowing residents to report non-emergency violations of law or city ordinances.

Since its creation, noise complaints have consistently topped the list of calls.

After years of protest, British Airways operated its final transatlantic flight out of John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Vibrations from the aircraft’s wake were reported to trigger car alarms and rattle nearby neighborhoods, prompting highly visible demonstrations in which hundreds of cars deliberately slowed traffic through the airport to five miles per hour.

With the proliferation of boom cars, Pioneer Electronics commissioned BBDO West, part of Omnicom Group Inc., to produce a marketing campaign built around the themes “Defy,” “Disrupt,” “Disturb,” and “Ignite” for its line of car stereo systems.

A marketing video titled “Disturb” features young men boasting about spending thousands of dollars on car audio equipment, setting off car alarms, and causing distress to pedestrians, including a young child.

2004

NoiseOFF is founded as an independent resource focused on noise pollution awareness, advocacy, and documentation.

Transportation Alternatives launched a campaign to ban car alarms in New York City and published a report titled Alarmingly Useless. Residents affected by car alarm noise testified at public hearings and organized protests outside City Hall in support of the proposed ban.

At the New York City Council hearing, the New York City Police Department, which oversees the Department of Environmental Protection, testified against banning car alarms, arguing that they provided an additional layer of protection for motorists’ property. The department did not present demonstrating that car alarms were effective in reducing vehicle theft.

Manufacturers and installers also opposed the ban and later took credit for a weakened version of the legislation, which prohibited only the sale of motion-activated alarms and alarms that sounded for more than three minutes.

The New York City Council on the Environment (CENYC) was rebranded as GrowNYC, marking a shift in focus toward programs such as farmers’ markets. Noise pollution was no longer treated as a core area of work and remained as a legacy issue.

Noise complaints and related matters were referred to Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D.

The New York City Police Department deploys a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), a high-intensity acoustic weapon originally developed for military use, during crowd-control operations at protests surrounding the Republican National Convention.

The use of sound as a weapon lies at the intersection of policing, civil rights, and civilian exposure.

2005

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signs a revised Noise Code into law, requiring construction sites to post noise mitigation plans, prohibiting garbage truck operations in residential areas at night, establishing plainly audible standards for personal stereos in public spaces and on transit, and setting limits on noise from nightclubs and bars.

2007

Federal Signal Corporation introduces the “Rumbler” emergency siren.

The system emits duplicated low-frequency tones that, according to the manufacturer, “have the distinct advantage of penetrating and shaking solid materials, allowing vehicle operators and nearby pedestrians to FEEL the sound waves, and perhaps even see their effects through a shaking rearview mirror.”

The device was conceived by a Florida Highway Patrol officer after observing the low-frequency impact of bass-heavy audio systems used in boom cars.

Noise, written and directed by Henry Bean, is released, starring Tim Robbins as a Manhattan attorney driven to vigilantism by chronic urban noise and Bridget Moynahan, with William Hurt portraying the city’s mayor. The film presents noise pollution as a catalyst for personal and civic conflict.

2008

The New York City Police Department begins a pilot program testing deployment of the low-frequency “Rumbler” siren. The department discussed the possibility of an accompanying public education campaign to reduce public concern.

The equipment was purchased and installed without formal public hearings or external oversight, and without a clear assessment of potential liability or broader noise-pollution impacts on residents.

2009

The New York City Council considered Intro 416-A, legislation intended to strengthen enforcement of the long-standing federal requirement that motorcycles be equipped with EPA-stamped exhaust systems.

The bill aimed to curb excessive motorcycle noise by enabling clearer enforcement, graduated fines for repeat offenders, and potential confiscation of illegally modified motorcycles. Opposition emerged from an ad-hoc motorcycle rights group, which argued–without substantiating evidence–that the federal labeling standard was flawed and that compliant exhaust systems were difficult or costly to obtain.

These claims were countered by advocates and city officials, who noted the widespread availability of EPA-compliant OEM exhausts and the public-health impacts of excessive motorcycle noise. The measure ultimately failed to advance despite support from NoiseOFF and other noise-abatement advocates and evidence of similar enforcement models in other cities.

2010

Following sustained lobbying by the National Federation of the Blind, Congress passed the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010, directing the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop sound requirements for electric and hybrid vehicles so they could be detected by blind pedestrians at low speeds.

Few questions were raised about the impact of increased noise pollution.

2011

Following a pilot program, the New York City Police Department continued the rollout of amplified low-frequency Rumbler sirens, with plans to equip thousands of police cruisers.

Federal Signal Corporation reached a $3.8 million settlement resolving claims of permanent hearing loss associated with exposure to its emergency sirens, brought by approximately 1,100 firefighters in Missouri, Maryland, and New Jersey after three years of litigation and several trials.

2012

An Illinois appeals court upheld jury verdicts awarding $445,000 to nine Chicago firefighters who alleged permanent hearing loss caused by repeated exposure to sirens manufactured by Federal Signal Corporation.

2013

Under the Michael R. Bloomberg administration, the New York City Department of Transportation began removing “Don’t Honk” signs, citing a lack of enforcement and an effort to declutter streets of frequently ignored signage.

Although fines technically remained in place, enforcement was minimal.

California enacts AB 1824, requiring aftermarket motorcycle exhaust systems to carry EPA-compliant noise labeling, shifting enforcement from roadside sound testing toward equipment legality and manufacturer responsibility.

NoiseOFF’s published report Loud Motorcycles, written by Jeff McCulley with Jeff Rustowicz, helped inform the legislative and regulatory effort addressing excessively loud motorcycle exhausts.

2021

The administration of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul enacted legislation increasing penalties for motorists and repair shops that illegally sell and modify mufflers and exhaust systems to make vehicles excessively noisy.

Known as the SLEEP Act (Stop Loud and Excessive Exhaust Pollution Act).

2022

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ordered Tesla to disable the “Boombox” feature after determining that the system allowed motorists to repurpose pedestrian-warning speakers to broadcast music and sound effects while vehicles were in motion.

However, automakers have also used pedestrian-warning speakers for branding purposes, allowing vehicles to emit stylized sounds—such as simulated combustion-engine noise—that undermine an environmental benefit of electric vehicles.

2025

Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., dies. Her work on the effects of environmental noise on children’s learning continues to inform research and policy discussions.