Roosevelt Neighbors Alliance
C/o University Neighborhood Service Center
4534 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105Kara Palmer
Sound Transit
401 S. Jackson St.
Seattle, WA 98101February 21, 2000
RE: Sound Transit Nighttime Noise Variance Request to the City of Seattle's Noise Ordinance -- U. District
Dear Ms. Palmer:
Roosevelt Neighbors Alliance wishes to comment on the Sound Transit Nighttime Noise Variance in the following areas:
1. Barging of spoils vs. trucking spoils. We feel that the barging of spoils will have a lesser impact on the residential and business communities of the University District than the trucking alternative.
2. Use of NE 45th St. vs. NE 50th St. to truck surface spoils. RNA understands that, despite barging, it will be necessary to truck surface spoils from the station site at NE 45th St. This haulage is proposed to be on a 24-hour basis. Sound Transit (ST) has indicated a preference to use a route that exits the University District by first traveling north on 15th Ave. NE and then following NE 50th St. west to I-5.
There are many more single- and multi-family residences along the proposed 15th/50th route than on the 45th St. route. Use of NE 45th St. would reduce the number of District residences exposed to truck noise. This would be RNA.s preference, especially during night hours. The section of NE 50th in question also has more grade inclines than NE 45th. That means that fully loaded trucks will be powering up hills and breaking on declines in residential areas in the dead of night. This is not acceptable.
We also realize that during the business day traffic volume is exceedingly heavy on NE 45th St. Therefore we would propose that ST consider using the NE 45th St. alternative between the hours of 9 PM and 7 AM. During these hours there is no advantage to ST in use of NE 50th St. because of lower overall traffic volumes in the District in general. During these hours, District commerce will not be disrupted by truck use of NE 45th St. We have spoken to engineers at SeaTrans who have indicated that they are indifferent as to whether ST trucks exit the District via NE 45th St. or NE 50th St.
We also caution that the traffic lanes on NE 50th St. are narrower (substandard 10 ft. lanes) than those on NE 45th ST (12 ft. lanes with a 10 ft. center turn lane). It might be wise to reduce the number of truck trips during morning and afternoon peak hours for traffic safety reasons.
3. Designation of a maximum noise level for single noise events. ST asks that the variance for nighttime noise limits be set at a 5-dBA above existing ambient levels, arguing that the threshold for detecting changes in noise levels is more that a 5-dBA increase. Noise will be measured on hourly averages. This would be fine if ST could guarantee that all noise emanating from the construction site would be a steady 5-dBA hum of white noise. But that is not reality. Noise emanating from any construction site will be of varying dBA. In other words one loud crash each hour in the dead of night could well be within the hourly average, but would nevertheless wake up the entire neighborhood.
In order to help the construction team define its nighttime activities, ST not only needs a limit on hourly average noise, but also a maximum noise level for any single noise event. RNA requests that ST designate a maximum noise level for any single nighttime event of no more than 10 dBA above the designated existing nighttime noise level.
4. Implementation of an enforceable monitoring system. The only effective way to monitor and enforce the nighttime noise limitation is by setting up a permanent monitoring system. This would be accomplished by setting up an on-site recorder as well as recorders at 2-3 residential locations near the construction site. The tapes would be reviewed by an acoustical engineer hired by ST (and not by the contractor) and City of Seattle noise staff (paid for by ST).
Such a system would:
- Ensure that the contractor sets up a meaningful nighttime work plan. Ensure that the contractor would not try to cheat on the plan in order to make up for lost time.
- Give teeth to ST incentives/penalties used to ensure that the contractor stays within the nighttime noise limit.
- Protect both ST and the contractor from complaints about neighborhood noise that was not construction related.
- Protect both ST and the contractor from unreasonable citizen complaints.
Thank you for your attention,
Nancy Bocek Hans Aschenbach Jay Regenstreif President Transportation Chair Sound Transit Monitor