Noise, and bus noise in particular

SectionF

I understand that there is a noise bill in the offing, yet I see very little discussion about this subject.

Our home backs onto a fairly busy road. Traffic generally isn't a problem, but the current batch of Dublin Bus Volvo buses are a nightmare. When they stop for traffic lights or in a line the engine idle is hugely loud, and our windows literally shake. The kids are complaining about the noise at night, and we have practically abandoned our back garden.

Before, traffic noise was not a problem. We had become so accustomed to it that we rarely noticed it, unless we were away from home and missed it!

Are there any practical steps we can take? Dublin Bus are hardly going to scrap their fleet, and even the greens are not going to force them to do that. Is there any adustment that can be made to the engine compartments and exhaust systems. And is there a noise lobby group or thread elsewhere?

BostonB

The buses are unbelievably loud. Idle and when on the move.

Oldtree

The following may be of help, but refers to quarry noise.

Silencers were put forward in guidelines as best practice to limit noise from machiney and lorries in quarrys. The levels of acceptable noise or more or less the same accross the board eg wind turbines, etc.

To add substance to your argument when approaching bus company to take action for you, see a quarry closed by a resident complaining about noise:

http://www.roscommonherald.ie/news/story/?trs=ojojkfid

Further background info by searching here:

http://www.courts.ie/Judgments.nsf/Webpages/HomePage

DOE new noise public consultation, submissions by 31-10 (sent in your viewpoint if it is'nt covered by the proposals). Also current guidelines and law on this page:

http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/NoiseIssuesConsultationPaper/

See also Citizens advice:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/environment/environmental-protection/noise_regulations

Cookie_Monster

Isin't it something to do with the fans on the buses?
I've heard them go from a normal quiet enough idle to roaring away as something or other,fan?, switched itself on and go back quite again some time later.

lostexpectation

go to dublin city council or fingal you'll see noisemaps , its show aot of noise along roads, on the maps averaged over 24hrs, but not along the rail tracks???

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/EnvironmentandWater/NoiseMapsandAreaPlans/FileDownload,13076,en.jpgsee 24hr avg, and no increase showing beside the railline??

Flyer1

It's Dublin City, a massive city, what do you expect in fairness if you're living there ? I've travelled Dublin Bus many a time, they're not " unbelieveably loud ". Take a trip to somewhere like Manhattan for a bit of a reality check.

jimmycrackcorm

It's not that the curses that have gotten louder but the traffic has gotten worse and the busses get stuck in traffic more. I think huge op should balance the convenience of location with the traffic and consider moving instead of trying to minimize the traffic disruption

Macha

Flyer1 wrote: »

It's Dublin City, a massive city, what do you expect in fairness if you're living there ? I've travelled Dublin Bus many a time, they're not " unbelieveably loud ". Take a trip to somewhere like Manhattan for a bit of a reality check.

It's big but Dublin is not big on international levels. Dublin also, is one of the most congested cities in the world. Traffic levels are ridiculously high for the population. The buses are indeed very loud.

We're not doing a very good job at convincing people not to live in the suburbs & contribute to the urban sprawl.

Look at a similar (and far superior in quality) map of Paris. And consider that Paris has a population of about 6 million:

http://www.paris-france.org/fr/environnement/bruit/carto_jour_nuit/cartobruit.html

oscarBravo

Flyer1 wrote: »

It's Dublin City, a massive city, what do you expect in fairness if you're living there ? I've travelled Dublin Bus many a time, they're not " unbelieveably loud ".

I remember when I used to walk from Connolly Station to work, just off Dame Street. For a while I tried to listen to the radio with earphones while walking, but I gave up because I couldn't hear it at top volume when buses were passing, and after they had gone the volume of the radio was painfully loud.

They're pretty noisy, alright.

BostonB

Flyer1 wrote: »

It's Dublin City, a massive city, what do you expect in fairness if you're living there ? I've travelled Dublin Bus many a time, they're not " unbelieveably loud ". Take a trip to somewhere like Manhattan for a bit of a reality check.

I think they are. You need IEM's to listen to you music/radio either walking beside them, and often sitting down the back of them. Why are private coaches not as loud? I assume they carry similar weights and would have similar engines.

djpbarry

Anyone know if a feasibility study has ever been conducted on the use of trolley buses in Dublin?

BostonB

Whats a trolly bus?

djpbarry

BostonB wrote: »

Whats a trolly bus?

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_A0E1DgX_G64/SHof20VtyWI/AAAAAAAAALk/dzq4yE644yc/Bergen+trolley+bus.JPG

I've seen them in use in Bergen, Budapest, Helsinki and San Francisco.

Húrin

SectionF wrote: »

I understand that there is a noise bill in the offing, yet I see very little discussion about this subject.

Our home backs onto a fairly busy road. Traffic generally isn't a problem, but the current batch of Dublin Bus Volvo buses are a nightmare. When they stop for traffic lights or in a line the engine idle is hugely loud, and our windows literally shake. The kids are complaining about the noise at night, and we have practically abandoned our back garden.

Before, traffic noise was not a problem. We had become so accustomed to it that we rarely noticed it, unless we were away from home and missed it!

Are there any practical steps we can take? Dublin Bus are hardly going to scrap their fleet, and even the greens are not going to force them to do that. Is there any adustment that can be made to the engine compartments and exhaust systems. And is there a noise lobby group or thread elsewhere?

Why not soundproof your back wall?

Oldtree

He would need to create a soundproof box out of his back garden to get rid of unwanted noise, one wall would not be enough.

SectionF

The noise I am describing is not an ordinary bus noise.

It has to do with a particular model -- pretty sure it's a Volvo AJX400. I had a vague notion, probably marketing-induced, that somehow Volvo had an environmental brief, but with this monster that certainly has not been the case. When it is stopped in traffic, or at low engine revs generally, it seems that the whole environment for about 20 yards around quite literally throbs.

It's really rather trite to tell me to go to Manhattan or some other 'real city' to experience this noise, (and it's simply bizarre to suggest that I soundproof a garden wall). I live in Dublin and so I am concerned about noise in Dublin. If other cities want to make noise a feature, that is their concern.

This is an extraordinary noise, and I can't help thinking that it is preventable.

BostonB

SectionF wrote: »

....When it is stopped in traffic, or at low engine revs generally, it seems that the whole environment for about 20 yards around quite literally throbs. ...

We got our local terminus moved away from our house for that reason. Though we also played on the dangerous location.

SectionF

Don't think that's going to work in this instance, since it's not a terminus, but a stop light.
I'm actually surprised that there isn't a noise lobby group somewhere who could take this up with Dublin Bus.

djpbarry

SectionF wrote: »

I'm actually surprised that there isn't a noise lobby group somewhere who could take this up with Dublin Bus.

Why don't you ask around with your neighbours and see if they have a similar complaint?

SectionF

Here's a report from the Sunday Times concerning unhealthy traffic noise levels in Dublin. My bet is that much of that noise comes from Dublin Bus's Volvo ALX400 bangers.