BLOG - Current O'ahu Noise Issues

Racetrack In Ewa - Big Ewa Opposition

3/31/2019

Comment:
Aloha,

Attached you will find Save Ewa Field - Kanehili Cultural Hui opposition to SCR 108 - a raceway park in Ewa Kapolei.

Members of the community, various veterans organizations and the Kapolei neighborhood board #34 oppose this raceway site location. Many feel that outside racetrack lobbyists are trying to impose their scheme on our community.

The testimony in opposition includes 13 point against having the raceway on MCAS Ewa this site. This same racetrack group disparaged veterans and fought against a resolution supporting a public park with an Ewa Battlefield memorial park component, causing the resolution to be blocked from passage.

Also included in testimony:

The sordid, corrupt, backstabbing history of Oahu racetracks
The Fall of Drag Racing
Drag racing: The loudest “sport”

Please oppose Resolution SCR 108: EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE RACETRACK OR RACEWAY – at historic National Register MCAS Ewa Field, located in the center of the Ewa Kapolei communities of Ewa Villages, Ewa by Gentry, Haseko Hoakalei Ocean Pointe, Ka Makana Alii Mall, DHHL Kaupe’a, Kanehili and GrayStar apartments (former Orion Village) among others.

Quieter O'ahu Response:
Quieter O'ahu is presenting the opinion expressed by the "Save Ewa Field - Kanehili Cultural Hui" in its entirety above. In addition, we have added SCR108 and links to its legislative page on our CURRENT LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY and LEGISLATION TO WATCH pages (click on either to go directly to those pages) under Hawai'i Noise Laws on the Home Page menu. The testimony submitted by the Kanehili Cultural Hui can be found below.

Motorcycles Keep Getting Louder and Louder. When Will HPD Say ENOUGH!!

3/24/2019

Comment
I am unhappy with the excessive motorcycle noise in front of my apartment on Ala Moana Boulevard. Mopeds, Harley Davidsons and bikes that sound like Harleys roar up and down and the law is never enforced. I even went to Ala Moana Boulevard when the hogs were doing their toys for tots drive and recorded decibel levels in excess of 100 when they pulled out of the park into the parade. That's also when the gave their bikes a little celebratory revving. "Noise, man, noise; lots of noise!" you could hear them saying as if paradise is found in a snarling machine. They seem to enjoy the macho camaraderie of being in a gang that makes the loudest roar. A policeman with several stars on his shoulders was standing there overseeing everything. I asked him what would be done by his officers. He shrugged his shoulders, probably thinking I was a cad to be raining on the toys for tots effort. The regulations I've discovered on my own research (which I'm sure is incomplete) says things like "an exhaust system should fail inspection if it emits a much louder noise than that emitted by the vehicle as equipped from the factory". And what if Harley Davidsons are built too loud in the first place? They are capable of 80 dB with no modification from day one yet a bill in the Hawaii legislature in 2017 prohibited vehicles making more than sixty decibels.
The potentially good news is Harley is making an electric motorcycle which will be noiseless. Now is the time to make sure they don't add a noisemaker to the system so their customer base will still be able to enjoy their noise. So now is the time to enact legislation that bars registration of any vehicle CAPABLE of making more than 60 dB. The average dB level for a car idling at a traffic light is about 40 dB; and it goes up to 60 on the freeway; but a hog can do 80 without trying. Sometimes Harley’s go over 100 dB without modification of the factory original. Don't forget 70 dB is ten times louder than 60; and 80 dB is ten times louder than 70, which means it’s fully 100 times louder than 60. This is unsafe. What can I do?

Quieter O'ahu Response:
Aloha. Thanks for your note. Agree with your assessment completely. Would point out that the loudest of the loud aftermarket exhausts for motorcycles registers a booming 125dB. On our motorcycle noise page we have a video of a common "Loud Pipe Contest" at a bike rally and you again are correct that it's just about the noise. Nothing else. Mine is bigger/louder than yours. Infantile.

What can you do? We always recommend participating and lending your voice in your neighborhood board. I think you'll find many more like-minded members of the community. At the board meetings urge - insist - that your board hold HPD accountable for non-enforcement. There's an HPD rep every month at every board meeting and anyone can ask them questions. A good one might be "why aren't you enforcing the law?"

For Quieter O'ahu, we continue to educate the public about noise, the mechanics of noise, and the worst noises we face on O'ahu. We are also building a mailing list of concerned individuals and when we reach a meaningful threshold or about 250 - 300 participants (we're at approximately 200 now) we plan on beginning mailing campaigns to HPD, City Council, and the Legislature letting them know in a full-throated voice that we've had enough and we're going to begin voting our dissatisfaction with their performance on containing noise. With approximately 250 participants we project we can generate upwards to 500 - 750 emails. That would be significant.

We'll post your comments to our blog without attribution. Helps others knowing that they're not alone with their frustrations over noise.

Thanks again for your input.

Hawai'i Study On Urban Noise - Something To Watch and Track!

2/25/2019

New page added, "Legislation To Watch" under Hawai'i Noise Laws. Both the House and Senate in 2018 offered concurrent resolutions, HCR72 and SCR61, for a study of urban noise by the Department of Health.

We've posted full text of the resolution for your reading pleasure. We all need to get behind this study and ensure that it is done correctly and that appropriate recommendations from the study don't fall through the cracks. Definitely a "MUST WATCH" if you're concerned about noise on O'ahu and across the State. Link to the new page HERE.

Really Loud People On Windward Beaches - Where's The Aloha For Others?

2/24/2019

Comment:
I'm so glad I came across your site! I thought I was the only one around here who is so sick and tired of all the constant noise on this island.

I live on the windward side in a complex that is near Kamehameha highway. The traffic noise on the road is horrible but I've learned how to tune it out. I'm fortunate to be closer to the beach side but I have some questions about noise enforcement on beaches-

Is there a certain time of the day when noise is supposed to be enforced on the beach? There are many tourists who stay at the complex next door and seem to lose all sense of time when they are on vacation. They will walk on the beach early in the morning to catch the sunrise and you can hear their kids screaming and yelling as they run around in excitement, despite the sun not even being out yet. There are also times at night when people are on the beach making noise. Enforcement is difficult out here since the only police department is in Kahuku and they are handling situations that happen between Kaaawa and North Shore.

I get that it's the beach and people want to have fun but there are also people residing in the buildings on these beaches who also have a right to their peace of mind. Security in our building can't enforce noise that's on the beach either- what can we do when things get too loud? Even though there's no public beach access at the building I live in, many people, locals and tourists, still trespass either through our parking lot or through the church next door. I understand kids are kids but there are also people who work all sorts of different hours of the day and need to sleep. It's often too hot to close all of the windows to tune out sound as well.

Second thing is that there's a church right next door to my building and almost every Saturday, around 6:30-7:00 in the morning, someone is already out there for 3-4 hours at a time mowing the lawn. Is that allowed?

Thank you for running this site!!

Quieter O'ahu Response:
Aloha,

I REALLY wish I could provide some good news, but in this case, don't think I can. Where there's a beach in Hawai'i there's noise. Fact of living in a tourist-oriented paradise. I could cite the Department of Health's administrative rules on established day and nighttime noise levels, they're posted on our site under "the quiet you're entitled to" but that would possibly raise your hopes that something might be done and, regrettably, it won't be. At least not now. We are increasing our lobbying of city council and the legislature for greater enforcement of existing noise ordinances and statutes by HPD, and also trying to make everyone more sensitive to the increasing noise everywhere. Every additional person that we add to our mailing list - and we'll be adding you - is potentially one more email in our upcoming email campaigns to city council and state legislature outlining the problems of noise here on O'ahu and across the state and asking, as a voting block, for action on this important issue.

Thanks for the note, and while we perhaps couldn't help this time, at least you have our empathy. We hate it, too. We will share your thoughts on our noise blog for the benefit of others, without your identifying information of course.

Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu

From TEDMED Videos - Why Noise Is Bad For Your Health And What You Can Do About It

2/24/2019

For those unaware, TED is Technology, Entertainment, and Design - TEDMED is the medical component of TED.

A regular site visitor shared this video - a really MUST SEE. A great lecture on the effects of noise on health. After viewing, take the time to share with family and friends - and maybe city council and legislators!!

Why Noise Is Bad For Your Health And What You Can Do About It

Insane Noise In Waikiki - And HPD: Tickets For Pets - Nothing For Noise!!

2/23/2019

Comment:
I live in the Wailana Condo at 1860 Ala Moana and as a new Condo owner I ave been shocked by the incredible, constant, level of never ending 24 hours a day noise pollution—-I am blasted by shrieking sirens at least (averaged during the past four days) 20 to 30 times a day. Cars seem to use the streets in front of my condo as a speed and loudest exhaust playground 24 hours a day. Motorcycles rip up and down the street at all hours of the day and night. I am kept awake all night long by this incredible noise pollution.

I think this is the most noise polluted place I have ever experienced in my life—-I am actually shocked at the lack of control of this noise pollution in a modern American City!

This is a backward thinking/acting city in many many ways—-it allows all sorts of noise pollution not allowed in almost any average American City and likewise does not allow you to walk your dog in almost any of it’s parks—-WHAT! How many cities/towns do not allow you to walk your on-lease dog in the park. I was at the Blow Hole lookout the other day and was told by a police officer that my on-leash dog needed to stay in the car or I would receive a $500.00 citation. Really!! What sort of backward thinking allows this crazy on one hand lack of controlling ordnance’s as well as Silly restrictive/draconian restrictions on experiencing a happy and fulfilling life with your canine pets?

Quieter O'ahu Response:
Aloha,

Couldn't have written your note better ourselves. And, of course, you're spot-on with your observations. We hear from MANY Waikiki residents about the noise onslaught and there's a large ground-swell in your area that I believe is about to take this bull by its horns.

Let me earnestly recommend that you attend the next, and successive, Waikiki Neighborhood Board meeting. Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at the Waikiki Community Center located at 310 Paoakalani Avenue at 7:00pm. A recently elected member of the board, Dr. Brian Bagnall, is a STRONG Waikiki anti-noise activist and having recently been seated on the board believe this will become a high priority for them. He is also President of the Waikiki Branch of The Outdoor Circle. Strongly urge you to add your voice at your neighborhood board meetings. And please, Tell Brian you were referred by Quieter O'ahu!

We have added you to distribution for emails on the topic of noise and related issues. We will also post your comments to our noise blog, without your name, to benefit others.

Mahalo,
A Quieter O'ahu

P.S. - Totally agree with your pet comments as well!!

New Yorkers Ponder A Quieter Siren For Emergency Vehicles

2/22/2019

Good article to stimulate thought. Do we really need sirens that are so disruptive? New York residents are considering an alternative. Click link to read the article.

Which Blare Project: New Yorkers Ponder Switch To Gentler Sirens - The Guardian

Helicopter Noise in Makiki

2/12/2019

Comment:
Helicopters are noticeably flying between 300 and 400 feet in the Makiki area. Not only is this loud but also potentially hazardous. Being that low doesn't give a pilot much reaction time should anything go wrong with the helicopter.

Quieter O'ahu Response:Aloha,

Thanks for your note. Yes, helicopters are among our greatest air-offenders. The continuing increase in tourism and the quick profits are encouraging this business and we expect to see it only get worse.

That said, we've posted on our website a new application/site that assists the difficult process of reporting aircraft noise. You can visit their website at https://www.airnoise.io, read about their service, and determine if this is something that might assist you in reporting helicopter noise. If you find it helpful, please let us know and we'll post your evaluation of this service.

Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu

Remembering Citizens Against Noise

2/5/2019

Comment:
My [relative] Dorothy Hazzard was a VISTA volunteer with Citizens against Noise here back in 1974 or 1975. I support your efforts

Quieter O'ahu Response:
Aloha,

I remember Citizens Against Noise!! A great group who broke ground on standing the line against unwelcome noise intrusion into our quality of life. Thank you for your support.

Please take the time to check out our new page at link below with current legislative actions and if you see an issue of particular interest please take the time to submit your support for or opposition to and your comments/testimony. As you know, we have to be vocal for the legislature to hear us.

https://www.quieteroahu.com/current-legislative-activity.html

Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu

Quieter O'ahu Engages In Noise Discussion on ThinkTech Hawai'i "Out And About"

2/1/2019

Comment:

Quieter O'ahu was invited, along with Dr. Brian Bagnall of the Waikiki Branch of The Outdoor Circle, to appear on ThinkTech Hawai'i on the "Out And About" Show hosted by Winston Welch. We thank Winston for the invitation.

You can view the show by click on the following ThinkTech Out And About Show link.

Take The Time To Comment

Let us know what you think. Are you tired of the noise? Do you have ideas on how to combat the noise? Tell us about it.

Also, use the "Contact A Quieter O'ahu" form (under "About Us" on the menu bar) to let us hear from you. We continue to compile email addresses of those interested in reclaiming quiet for our island to inform of noise and related issues of interest. From time to time Quieter O'ahu may recommend contacting City Council or the Legislator to make your feelings known on a particular noise or related Bill.

TOGETHER we can affect positive change.