Ideas to Reduce Roadway Noise, Improve Safety and Increase Livability

Jackson Heights Commercial Core

(74^th Street, 82^nd Street,

37^th Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue)

Jackson Heights, Queens, NY

Draft for community review

29 August 2003

Submitted to the Coalition for a Quiet Jackson Heights

by Michael King Architect

for Transportation Alternatives and the New York Community Trust

Outline

A. REPORT

1. Overview
2. Issues
1. Community Observations
2. Roadway Noise

3. Survey and Analysis

1. Trucks and Livery Cars
2. Meter Feeding and Illicit Parking
3. Discussion
1. Traffic
2. Parking

B. MAPS

1. Existing Conditions
2. Traffic Network
3. Community Observations
4. Sound Levels
5. Vehicle Type
6. Meter Use and Illicit Parking

Credits

The report, drawings, workshop, data and analysis was produced with the able assistance of Elena Patarini.

Overview

This report culminates a study investigating roadway noise and its causes in the commercial core of Jackson Heights in Queens, New York. The focus of this study is on physical and regulatory changes to the transportation system. In the past much emphasis has been given to “enforcement” and “education”. Yet our experience is that enforcement is fleeting and education is dubious. Better to rely on self-enforcing, self-explaining and self-evident measures.

We found a high percentage of livery cars (up to 27%) and delivery vans/trucks (up to 15%) in the study area, but few large trucks. This compares favorably to surrounding streets, but is nevertheless harmful to the historic buildings and cohesiveness of the neighborhood. On one historic-residential street we counted one truck every two minutes. Measures to reduce truck and livery car traffic are discussed including restricted delivery times, integrated deliveries, taxi stands, and prohibitions of truck turns.

We found some double parking (max 2/hr), more illicit parking (up to 12/hr) and much meter feeding (up to 39%). Measures to better manage the parking supply are discussed including meters which detect feeding, muni-meters, coordination with parking lots, more flexible loading zones, curb extensions, bus bulbs, and removed rush hour regulations. We end with a discussion of reduced parking supply via part-time pedestrian malls. These would have the most impact on roadway noise.

The objective of this report is not to provide finalized recommendations, rather solid evidence and an honest discussion of the issues. The hope is that the Coalition for a Quiet Jackson Heights takes the findings and engages the larger community in a discussion of roadway noise and its root causes.

Figure 1: Curb Extensions with Benches, 82nd Street

Issues

Community Observations

The project team and the Coalition set the project boundaries as the rectangle bounded by Roosevelt Avenue, 86^th Street, 37^th Avenue and 72^nd Street. This encompasses four of the major commercial streets, the most pedestrian activity and the two subway lines of the neighborhood. The project team created a series of neighborhood maps (see maps B1, B2 and B3) and the Coalition identified the following issues contributing to excessive neighborhood noise:

1. Honking by drivers frustrated with traffic congestion due to double parked vehicles, partially due to meter feeding on the commercial streets – 82^nd Street, 74^th Street, 37^th Avenue, and Roosevelt Avenue
2. Honking by livery car drivers illegally cruising for fares
3. Heavy truck traffic off designated truck routes
4. Honking by drivers frustrated with traffic congestion at T-intersections along Roosevelt Avenue where all traffic must turn.
5. Heavy U-turn traffic along 37^th Avenue
6. Confusing intersection for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians at Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway.
7. Heavy traffic on Roosevelt Avenue, Northern Boulevard and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
8. Elevated train on Roosevelt Avenue (#7).

We agreed to focus on the first three on the list. They were manageable for the group, realistic and within the scope of the project. In that the issues have to do with traffic and driver behavior, the Coalition decided to perform two surveys in July and August 2003:

• vehicle type, and
• meter usage and illegal parking.

The vehicle type survey tells us how many trucks (small and large), busses and livery cabs are in the area. For example we will know if large trucks are driving off the designated truck routes. We will know what percentage of vehicles are livery cabs that may or may not be cruising for fares (and honking).

The meter usage and illegal parking survey tells us how the existing parking supply is used, legally and illegally. For example on our block with 80 meter hours, 20 of those hours may be occupied by the same vehicles. Their drivers are feeding the meters. Similarly we can understand how many vehicles are parking in crosswalks, at hydrants and double parked. This will substantiate (or not) the perception that double parking causes drivers to honk. This survey will also tell us if there really is a lack of parking in the area, or if the parking supply is simply being misused. This survey also tells us if there is enough delivery parking in the area, based on the number of trucks parked at meters and elsewhere. Or if other vehicles are illegally parking in truck loading zones.

Simultaneously the project team surveyed the on-street parking supply in area through what is known as a Curb Allocation survey. This tells us what each portion of curb is used for and when: meters, street cleaning, driveways, fire hydrants, loading zones, bus stops. As many uses vary during the course of a day (no standing zones during rush hours or street cleaning) an additional variable is calculated known as a parking-hour.

For example 83^rd Street between Roosevelt and 37^th Avenues is 720 feet long and has space for 40 cars on each side. On the east side there are five meters, three hydrants and one bus stop. The west has eight meters and one driveway. On Wednesday the east side of the street is cleaned. As shown in Table 1, multiplying each space by the number of hours one may or may not park there on a typical Wednesday yields 114 no parking-hours, 122.5 metered parking-hours and 723.5 free (unmetered) parking-hours. Similar surveys were performed on all blocks in the study area.

Space/regulation	Eastside		Westside		Both Sides
	Spaces	Parking-hours	Spaces	Parking-hours	Spaces	Parking-hours
Hydrant (= 1.5 spaces)	3	54			3	54
Bus stop (= 4 spaces)	1	48			1	48
Driveway (= 1 space)			1	12	1	12
No Parking Subtotal		102		12		114
Meter (9 AM - 7 PM, 7 days)	5	50	8	80	13	130
Street cleaning (8.30-10.00 AM, Wed)		-7.5				-7.5
Metered Subtotal		42.5		80		122.5
No Regulation	31	372	31	372	62	744
Street Cleaning (8.30-10.00 AM, Wed)		-46.5				-46.5
Before Meter		10		16		26
Free Subtotal		335.5		388		723.5
Total	40	480	40	480	80	960

Table 1: Curb Allocation on 83^rd Street, 7 AM – 7 PM on Wednesday

Roadway Noise

As the impetus for this work is roadway noise, we surveyed the sound levels in the area to validate the concerns of the group. The measurements were taken on May 16^th, 2003 with a digital decibel reader. Each survey was two minutes long and taken 25 feet away from the center of the nearest travel lane. According to Chapter 6 of Title 15 of the Rules of the City of New York, allowable sound levels are 92 dB for vehicles over four tons (trucks), 88 dB for motorcycles and 82 dB for all other vehicles (cars) on streets with speeds of 35 mph or less.[1] From Table 2 three of the four sites identified by the group exceed the maximum legal sound levels for trucks. At all four sites the ambient noise is higher than 50 dB, the level at which sound becomes generally bothersome to humans. The levels are mapped on Map B4.

It is also important to note the difference in ambient sound levels and the spikes (maximum). A change of 10 dB either doubles or halves the noise level, a change of 5 dB is “perceptible”, and a change of 3 dB or less is barely noticeable to the human ear. On 74^th Street, the sound spike is almost five times greater than the ambient level. The conclusion is that, regardless of the actual levels, sound spikes truly bother people.

There is a correlation between roadway noise and vehicle speed and size. If one reduces vehicle speeds, manage traffic to reduce aggressive driving, and organize traffic patterns to keep larger vehicles on designated routes, in short, to calm traffic, then the street will be less noisy. Other measures to reduce roadway noise (plant trees, remove elevated trains, convert trucks to solar or battery powered, etc.) fall outside the project scope.

Location	Ambient dB	Maximum dB	Difference dB
37^th Av, 79th to 80th St	57	86	29
74^th St, Roosevelt to 37th Av	54	93	39
82^nd St, Roosevelt to 37th Av	67	97	30
Roosevelt Av, 74^th to 75^th Street	60	97	37

Table 2: Noise Levels in Jackson Heights

Survey and Analysis

Trucks and Livery Cars

The Coalition suggested that there was an overabundance of trucks and livery cars in the neighborhood contributing to roadway noise via rumbling and honking. To substantiate this claim we (the project team and coalition) performed vehicle classification surveys on the four streets which were thought to have the most noise. The surveys were taken on a typical weekday afternoon and a typical Saturday afternoon, the times when noise was perceived to be worst. Each survey lasted 30 minutes. The truck category includes commercial vans, delivery (UPS) trucks and large, 3-axel trucks. The bus category includes large and small busses, ambulettes and for hire passenger vans. Livery cars are for hire, non-medallion taxis. The findings are presented in Table 3 and Table 4 and in Map B5.

Location	Car	Livery	Truck	Bus	Total
37^th Av, 74^th – 75^th St	430	84	44	6	564
	76%	15%	8%	1%
74^th St, 37^th – Roosevelt Av	142	28	8	12	190
	75%	15%	4%	6%
82^nd St, 37^th – Roosevelt Av	136	56	40	32	264
	52%	21%	15%	12%
85^th St, 37^th – Roosevelt Av	154	24	16	4	198
	78%	12%	8%	2%
total	862	192	108	54	1216
	71%	16%	9%	4%

Table 3: Vehicle Type, Weekdays, 3-7 PM (30 min. counts)

Location	Car	Livery	Truck	Bus	Total
37^th Av, 74^th – 75^th St	536	92	12	0	640
	84%	14%	2%	0%
74^th St, 37^th – Roosevelt Av	208	84	12	6	310
	67%