by Dailin Shen

Hush the Noise in Subway

If you’ve ever worn a pair of earphones in a subway station when waiting for a train, you might be puzzled, “Hum, maybe something is wrong with my earphones. I have to turn up the volume more.” But do not judge earphones too early. The ear-crushing subway system may be the problem instead. After a train passed by, the subway station fell silent until the next train arrived. During intervals between trains, you could hear fingers flicking through the pages of newspapers, a woman’s heels clacking against the concrete platform, and bottles rolling on the platform until it hit the tracks, giving out thwack-thwack sounds.

34th Street Station. Commuters were transferring in a hurry when a man held a piece of newspaper standing firmly in the center. Photo by Dailin Shen for Columbia University.
34th Street Station. Commuters were transferring in a hurry when a man held a piece of newspaper standing firmly in the center. Photo by Dailin Shen for Columbia University.

At Union Square station on a Thursday morning in October, an uptown 6 local train arrived, emitting its unbearable Eie!Eie!e-e-Eie!Eie!E!! noise. Sergio Hernandez, a man who was ready to board the train, closed his eyes with forehead furrowed. When the noise lasted for nearly 3 seconds, Hernandez started to stick his fingers in both ears. It takes the train about 40 seconds to pull through.

Hernandez moved to New York City from Washington D.C. half a year ago, but still cannot get used to the disturbing sounds in subway stations in New York. “D.C.’s Metro whispers quiet,” Hernandez said. “The noise is horrible.” He once attempted to isolate himself from the creepy noise by wearing a pair of earphones during the whole trip. But he had to admit to cranking up the volume on his iPod when the station was crowded with commuters and the noise there was “bumped up.”

After wearing earphones in the subway station for about a half-a-month, Hernandez noticed his hearing got worse than before. He even experienced his ears humming at times. As a consequent, he stopped listening to music when waiting for the train.

“With the curved tracks in this station, it makes a lot of squealing. And I’m sure that I won’t be the only one holding my ears when the train is arriving,” said Hernandez.

Tested by a digital sound-level meter, the train rumbles out at 104 decibels. According to a survey conducted by the New York Post, Union Square ranks the second worst among 20 stations that get the most complaints about noise. The noisiest one is South Ferry station with 111 decibels, as loud as a rock concert. And standing on a platform at Union Square station with 104 decibels is akin to immersing oneself into a situation where a lawn mower is running.

Figure 2 A woman wearing earphones was boarding the 7 train at Union Square Station. According to a study conducted by Columbia University: if a rider is exposed to the noise in subway station and other high noise-level activities such as a personal listening device, the potential of hearing loss is even greater. Photo by Dailin Shen for Columbia University.
Figure 2 A woman wearing earphones was boarding the 7 train at Union Square Station. According to a study conducted by Columbia University: if a rider is exposed to the noise in subway station and other high noise-level activities such as a personal listening device, the potential of hearing loss is even greater. Photo by Dailin Shen for Columbia University.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requires that workers exposed to 90 decibels of noise for eight hours a day must wear protective gear to prevent ear damage and eventual deafness.

Commuting by subways is part of many New Yorkers’ daily lives. Everyday, more than 7.5 million passengers are served by 24 subway lines, with 468 subway stations scattered across the five boroughs of New York City. Columbia University conducted a study measuring the sound in New York subway stations.

The study indicated that noise levels in the subway at times are significantly above the 85 decibel maximum levels recommended by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO)and the United States Environmental Protections Agency (EPA). Average noise levels of 94 decibels were recorded on the platform, with peak levels repeatedly at 106 decibels. Inside the train cars the noise was even louder.

According to the WHO and the EPA, such noise levels are unsafe when sustained for more than 30 seconds. According to Professor Robyn Gershon, the head of the study and also a professor emerita of clinical sociomedical sciences in nursing, listening to music in the subway is also extremely damaging. Because in order to hear the music over the surrounding noise, the volume on the player must be turned up high, often resulting in noise levels of 85 – 90 decibels.

“If a rider is exposed to other high noise-level activities such as a personal listening device, the potential for hearing loss is even greater,” said Gershon. Noise exposure and noise induced hearing loss is a global health problem of significant magnitude, especially in urban settings.” Even those short bursts of train noise are potentially dangerous,” said Gershon.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has been trying to quiet the 109-year-old subway system for the last 35 years by lubricating tracks on sharp curves, using quieter train wheels, and installing composite brake shoes on all subway cars to stop wheels from screeching. Gripes about subway noise comprise a significant part of the city’s overall 311 noise complaints.

Variant Studio, which is an architecture firm based in Riga, Latvia and London, designed a three dimensional pyramid and prism panels made from lightweight and porous ceramic, to be sound absorbing and fire safe.

“It cuts train noise down by 40 decibels in our experiments,” said Karlina Voitika, the manager of Variant Studio. The idea was a finalist among designs for a Moscow train station, but it was not selected. Voitika knows the noise issue in New York subway stations, which she described as a labyrinth with chaos. The aim of Variant is to provide the passengers with comfort and safety, “…and construct the quietest metro station in the world, maybe in New York City, maybe in Moscow,” said Voitika.

According to MTA.info, New York City Transit’s (NYCT) Noise Committee investigated noise and vibration issues that may affect the health of customers. Beginning in 2015, the Noise Committee is posting an annual noise reduction report on the MTA website, providing an update for the previous year on capital investments and improved maintenance that contribute most to reducing transit system noise. One of the noise abatements focuses on tracks. A new type of Low Vibration Track (LVT) is being installed throughout the NYCT System to determine its cost effectiveness. Several locations have been completed and preliminary results show a marked improvement in vibration-generated noise.

The report says that both the Culver Viaduct LVT installation, which ended in 2013, on 18,000 track-feet and the 7 Line Extension LVT installation, completed in 2014, on 13,600 track-feet, were effort carried out to reduce the noise level in subway stations.

For MTA workers, the MTA requires an annual hearing test and hearing protection for employees exposed to at least 85 decibels over an eight-hour shift.

“We usually wear earplugs when working on the track,” said Harry Ocarsio, 45, a supervisor in the track department of the MTA. He just finished his regular work of verifying the condition of subway track along the 1 line and waited for trains.

“They[earplugs] are not comfortable,” said Oscarsio, “It’s necessary, like wearing sunglasses at the beach, but not that fashionable.” Ocarsio mentioned that the earplugs were bought by workers each year.

Frank Goldsmith, the director of occupational health at the Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU Local 100.org), said that the city has taken measures to silence the workplace by applying newer machines or relocating noisy equipment away from workers.

According to Goldsmith, transit workers in TWU Local 100 lose hearing to varying degrees. “Some of our guys retire and they’re permanently deaf,” said Goldsmith. Workplace noise influences a New York transit worker’s physical body, family and safety.

By now, TWU Local 100 cannot give an exact number of workers experiencing deafness due to noise in the subway station. But Goldsmith said, ”0bviously, most of our workers have to be exposed to high pitches during their working times. And they are at high risk of hearing loss.”

On the website of Transport Workers Union Local 100 Retirees Association, dental and vision care are the two primary medical needs. But hearing care is not there. As explained on the Senior Buzz Spring Issue, the association has arranged a vision service plan for retirees, helping them save money on their eyeglasses.

Figure 3 Bharat Modi, 45, has owned a newsstand at Union Square Station for two years. He usually working seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. by running shifts with his brother. Photo by Dailin Shen for Columbia University.
Figure 3 Bharat Modi, 45, has owned a newsstand at Union Square Station for two years. He usually working seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. by running shifts with his brother. Photo by Dailin Shen for Columbia University.

Michael Tutrone, 73, who retired as a bus worker for the MTA, now serves as the director of TWU Local 100 Retirees Association. “Hearing loss is irreversible,” said Tutrone. As the association draws more attention from the public, he hopes that someday over 6000 members will enjoy the rehabilitation of their hearing.“ To protect, preserve and improve the social and economic status of retirees,” said Tutrone.

Not only do New York transit workers have bad experiences with screeching trains, but also the people who own businesses in the subway stations suffer a lot. Bharat Modi, 45, has owned a newsstand at Union Square Station for two years, usually working seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. by running shifts with his brother, he said.

“Anybody who stands here can feel the vibrations by the pillar on the sidewalk,” said Modi. As he was talking, a local 6 train was passing by. Pieces of New York City’s maps hanging on the string were dangling.

Modi mentioned that communicating with customers in rush hours was embarrassing. Although both he and his customers can speak, they hardly can understand each other. Making hand gestures or lip reading is necessary to convey information to the person standing only five feet away.

Over the past two years, Modi gradually gets used to the noisy environment in the New York subway station. During the first month of running a newsstand in the subway station, he found he could not concentrate on doing things for a whole day. “What is interesting is, now it makes me feel anxious to stay in a quiet place for too long.” said Modi.

“Maybe in the future,” said Modi, “I’ll pay for that.”