Get ready to hear the city’s soundtrack—New Yorkers are finally getting a way to tell the noise police exactly what’s ringing in their ears.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched a free app called “NYC Noise.” Beginning Monday morning, anyone with a smartphone can tap to take a five‑second decibel reading and tag the source—alarms, construction, pets, HVAC units, loud music, sirens, traffic (cars and buses) or horns. Every entry is sent to the DEP, which already handles the most common 311 complaint: noise.
As residents keep logging sounds, the city will build a city‑wide noise map. The map, plus a table of averages and peaks, will pinpoint hotspots and show trends in when, where and why certain neighborhoods are disturbed. “Noise is one of the most pressing quality‑of‑life concerns for New Yorkers, and this tool will help us better identify when and where disturbances occur,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala.
The app’s data will supplement that gathered by the DEP’s hidden “noise cameras,” which quietly monitor for loud motorcycle engines, honking cars, and music‑blasting vehicles. Those cameras have already issued more than $1.7 million in fines in recent years.
Last year the city logged over 700,000 noise complaints via 311—the largest share among all nuisance categories. In 2023 alone, more than 20,000 complaints referenced “after‑hours construction noise,” especially jack‑hammering. But a 311 report usually lacks precise timing and decibel information, making enforcement harder, the department noted.
Now anyone can record a snapshot of a bothersome sound, noting the time, date, spot and what it was. The app does not capture the audio itself, and the data won’t trigger fines on a case‑by‑case basis. Instead, it gives the DEP a clearer picture of how loud noises are, when they peak and what patterns emerge—quickening inspector deployment where the problem is most acute.
For instance, if users find that jack‑hammering consistently occurs at a specific site between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., inspectors can plan to check in that window. Construction sites often push noise to nearly 110 decibels, just shy of a jet taking off at 130 decibels, while stereo boomboxes can hit 110‑120 decibels. The city’s noise code caps sound above 42 dB entering neighboring homes, even from music venues.
After a series of internal tests, a DEP insider said the app is “very user‑friendly.” Commissioner Aggarwala added, “I want to thank our teams in Environmental Compliance and Business Information Technology for their work on “NYC Noise.” It will let our inspectors target enforcement more precisely while giving the public a direct role in shaping a quieter city.”
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