City tweaks rules to require after-hours noise monitoring

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CITYWIDE — THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION has amended its construction noise mitigation rules by requiring that construction sites of more than 200,000 square feet and within 50 feet of a residence must use a noise monitoring device when operating after hours for 30 days or longer.

The new rule goes into effect April 26, 2026. The city’s 311 system received more than 20,000 complaints from after-hours construction in 2023, according to NYC DEP. After-hours construction noise has been the bane of neighborhoods like Boerum Hill, where around-the-clock construction on the new borough-based jail has made life for neighbors a “ sleepless hell” for years.

Councilmember Lincoln Restler, D-33, in August introduced a bill that would further improve the lives of beleaguered residents by requiring the city to establish an onsite construction coordinator for all the borough-based jail projects. The appointee would work with city agencies to develop mitigation plans to address problems such as noise, traffic congestion and street closures.

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