No More Noise Toronto (NMNT)
Noise is unwanted and/or harmful sound. Let’s reduce it as much as possible. Cities don't need to be as noisy as they are.
No More Noise Toronto (NMNT) was born out of personal frustration with the noise of Toronto, and lack of enforcement of existing laws. Upon learning that the City of Toronto was reviewing its noise bylaws, that seemed like the perfect environment to create a community of like-minded people who are tired of being tired.
Now, we have a membership of over 1,300 people, and many of them are engaged in our cause, appreciating the fact they are not alone in their suffering. Whether you are on our front lines or just send off an email on occasion, you are all part of an ever-growing movement to create a better city in which to live, work and play.
City of Toronto Noise Bylaw Review
The Noise Bylaw Review is now over. Many Toronto residents participated by sending emails and making deputations during the process. This was noticed by City Council and City Staff, and that will certainly make a difference going forward. There are signs of a commitment by the City to not "just stop here", and that there is more work to do.
They heard loud and clear that noise pollution is a public health issue and how it is impacting residents. So, we are going to keep banging our drum and hope that you join the band.
Join us by signing up for Noise News .
Our Noise Actions
We achieved our goal of creating an educated and engaged community ready to share their story with the City, backed up by data validating their concerns for the bylaw review.
Through our online campaign website, "Add Your Voice" was clicked over 1,000 times to send over 14,600 emails for noise bylaw-related actions.
Additionally, we had over 50 different speakers share how noise impacts them with City Councillors and Staff, and this had an incredible impact.
To watch the City's presentation and some of the deputations from January 11, 2024 watch the video below. Start watching at 4:07:45
A data centered approach
NMNT collects crowd-sourced data through our "Not 311" Noise Report, and we also collect data with meters for week-long measurements from people's homes. This is different from other noise reduction campaigns as the health impacts of sound levels have been studied for decades and are well known. With data, spatial analysis and medical research, we know that our health is being impacted, whether we are annoyed or not. This is a strong position for change.
"Not 311" Noise Report
With approximately a year's worth of noise reports, we are over 10,515 noise reports. By citizens reporting their noise complaints, we provide a new source of data for us to advocate for better noise bylaws.
While reporting some kinds of noise to the City can produce good results, the complaint process for reporting moving vehicle noise is ineffective. The City can only enforce a bylaw on a stationary vehicle. And, there is no formal hand-off from the City to the Toronto Police Service who can then stop and ticket a vehicle under the Highway Traffic Act. The inability to report moving vehicle noise is a major cause of frustration to many Torontonians as is demonstrated by most of the noise reports being for moving motor vehicle noise, even though we offer other categories such as construction and amplified sound.
311 only allows you to report noise that is in violation of a bylaw. That means you cannot report leaf blowers from 8 am to 7pm on weekdays. No matter how much you are bothered by them. So, as leaf blower season is upon us, it is imperative that you report leaf blowers. The more data we can share with the City of how many people are impacted by leaf blower noise, the better and sooner the City will take action about it.
Click here to learn more about the "Not 311" Noise Report.
Sound Level Measurements
Often noise heat maps use 24-hour average sound levels (Leq). These averages do not show the individual noise spikes that we hear at the bedroom window. Below is the heat map for Toronto from the "How Loud is Too Loud" Toronto Public Health report, which is good information, just not detailed enough.
Noise heat map from How Loud is Too Loud Toronto Public Health Report
When we have a meter on a balcony for a week or more, we can see what people have to live with on a second-by-second basis.
A noise measurement from late February 2024
Through our software we are able to count the number of peak noise events at different times of the day and night. Peak noise events at night are very detrimental to our health, even if our sleep is not being interrupted.
Yellow lines indicate a peak noise event which is 10 decibels above the average for the measurment.
From this we can estimate exposure to people through spatial analysis. Click the link below to see how we have analyzed how many people live within 750 meters of a highway or 100 meters from an arterial road, and the peak noise events they are exposed to.
This data is providing a strong argument for change, and giving people some science to back up and validate their words about how much noise bothers them and impacts their health. Your complaints are being validated, so let that give you the courage to speak up. You are not the problem. Its turning out the city is.
There’s nothing wrong with you; there’s something wrong with the city. You don't need to change; our cities do.
Doing Something
Nothing changes unless people take action for change. It is our goal to try and find something that is "comfortable" for everyone to do.
Sign up for Noise News or join us in a Meet-Up , and I’m sure we can match you with a pursuit that both suits your personality and addresses your specific noise concerns. Is your community too noisy, and seemingly getting worse? You can do something about it.
You can:
- Send an email to City Councillors, Staff and others in 4 clicks and a bit of typing
- Edit that email to add your noise story
- Write your very own email
- Speak to the committee (online or in person)
- Share the action with others
Your Councillor and the City will better understand the gravity of the noise problem the more people speak up. Some people don't like form emails and agreed, they have their limitations, but they also have their place. Volume matters.
Thanks for scrolling
No More Noise Toronto has grown exponentially over 8 months. We now have over 1,300 subscribers to Noise News.
We provide regular opportunities to meet others who are also bothered by noise in our 2x / month Meet Ups. There are Action Alerts 1 or 2 times a month letting you know when you can make a difference or learn more about this health hazard.
Please sign up for Noise News , join our Facebook Group: No More Noise TO , and connect with Ingrid on LinkedIn .
You can also make a tax-deductible donation towards A Less Noisy Toronto through our partners at Small Change Fund . All funds go towards the software and licenses that it takes to develop and nurture an online community into a force for change. A heartfelt thank you to those that have already donated!
