The subway is so important to the life of a New Yorker, it forms their relationship with the city. As an audio engineering student, I became especially sensitive to the sounds I heard on my commute, and often wore earplugs in the subway as advised by my teachers. For my master’s thesis, after four years of subway admiration, and frustration, I decided to investigate the sonic environments of the New York City transit system.

There are more than 400 stations, each with their own distinct soundscape. When encountered on a daily basis, these soundscapes can shape our habits, feelings, and health in ways we often aren’t aware of. Local news investigations have found dangerous noise levels at many of the city’s most used stations, particularly Union Square, reinforcing studies that say the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) system presents a risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) to its riders, and has not addressed the matter seriously. I wondered if other riders would care about the deafening and convoluted soundscape as much as I did.

My process was inspired by a soundscape study of five European villages, and guided by my advisor, soundscape researcher Tae Hong Park. I wanted to evaluate a few stations’ unique and shared characteristics, to see what kind of experience they created for the riders who used them. Three contrasting stations were chosen: one underground (Bedford Ave L), one aboveground (Lorimer St J/M), and one brand spanking new (86th St Q). I spent lots of time in these stations, listening, making sound recordings, measuring decibel levels, and observing commuter behavior. I also surveyed 30 people at each station about their experience, and occasionally handed out foam earplugs. All of this information was put together to create the following sound profiles and acoustic fidelity ratings, or, evaluations of the success of sonic communication, hearing safety, and overall soundscape character at each station. Now, let’s travel back to the fall of 2019, when these profiles were made.

STATION SOUND PROFILES

Bedford Av L

Operating since: 1924

Station type: Underground

Weekday Usage: 26,603; 39th system wide

Weekend Usage: 42,024; 22nd system wide

Lines served: L 14th St-Canarsie Local

Soundmarks: Construction, Air Quality Monitor

Acoustic Fidelity Rating: Low

The soundscape of the Bedford Av station is rich: filled with machinery beeps, deep tunnel ambience, echoing footsteps, and occasional music. The most apparent sound sources in the entrance areas are the turnstiles, which emit loud beeps at varying pitches, creating a harsh musical clash. Almost as loud are the sounds of the turnstiles actually turning in a metallic clicking gesture. Adjacent to them is the emergency exit door, which is quite heavy and slams loudly against its metal frame. The ticket office has a mic for the station attendant to talk with customers, which amplifies their voice through a small tinny speaker with a timbre similar to a walkie-talkie. Some of these sounds can be heard in this recording.

Of the three stations, this one is by far the most heavily used. It’s the most structurally similar to stations across the city, many of which were built at the start of the 20th century. Unfortunately, its soundscape is also the most problematic. The sounds of construction updates, in effect since 2017, are a prominent part of the soundscape on the platform, especially on weekends. Slower service has led to typically crowded and noisy platforms, keeping commuters immersed in the soundscape for longer. Sidewalk grates on the tunnel ceiling allow the sounds of the street (more construction) to float through to the platform below.

Another peculiar sound source sits at the far ends of the platform: Aeroqual monitoring devices. Marked as a white box in the figure above, they were likely installed to ensure safety during the renovations. The sound they produce is a heavy droning tone with peaks at 547hz and 1469 Hz respectively, with a fundamental pitch of C#5. When there are no trains in the station, these drones are noticeable sound sources in their respective areas, but don’t fill the whole station.

Though there are an ample number of speakers on the platform, they often don’t perform efficiently when there’s a train or active construction in the station. In one of my recordings, a chaotic episode can be heard between countdown clocks, conductor instructions, and the construction crew’s boombox. At relatively quiet times however, the robotic P.A. announcements echo fiercely. The large, awkward pauses in the messages are actually necessary for any chance of legibility. The tile that lines the walls of the tunnels contributes to this reflection and amplification of announcements, and all other sounds. Throughout my visits I saw the tile lining removed from the tunnels, only to be replaced with a new one. Though visually pleasing and a consistent theme of MTA stations, its highly reflective nature makes it a poor acoustic design choice, and a troublesome part of the soundscape.

Lorimer St J/M

Operating since: 1888

Station type: Aboveground

Weekday Usage: 4,837; 293rd system wide

Weekend Usage: 4,795; 282nd system wide

Lines served: J Nassau St Local, M Queens Blvd/6 Av local

Soundmarks: Airplanes, Street traffic, Wind, Birds, Train arrival alarm

Acoustic Fidelity Rating: Medium-Low

The Lorimer St J/M station sits above Broadway Avenue in Brooklyn, as do several others on the subway line. The stations’ presence makes it one of the busiest streets in the area, sparking a dynamic city soundscape. The train itself can be heard from a block away, though it could easily be overpowered by street or air traffic. Inside the ticket office are several pronounced sound sources smushed into the space. Squeaky, slamming wooden doors, the booth attendant’s microphone, ticket machines, turnstile beeps, traffic below, roaring trains above, and a train arrival alarm. This alarm is actually the only sound signal mentioned on the MTA website. It consists of a repeated beeping sound, telling waiting commuters to run and catch their train on the platform above. However, the sound does not signal which train is arriving. The alarm’s pitch is very close to that of the turnstiles’, and the pitch of beeps from the ticket machines when there is change leftover, at 2885 Hz (F#7). Therefore, in the relatively cramped off-hours waiting area, there are three similar beeps meant to signal distinct information to the visually impaired. This clash of sound design is not only inefficient, it creates a rather uncomfortable waiting environment.

On the platform itself, the ambient sounds of the neighborhood fill most of the soundscape. It’s generally calm. Above is a frequent airplane path, below are motors, honking, and pedestrian activity. The J and M lines, running on the same track, are moderately quiet. Trains arriving in one direction can barely be heard from the opposite platform. However, when the Z, or express train, passes through on the middle track, there’s an eruption of sound, resulting in high peaks of almost 100 dB, as shown in the figure above. The rumble can be felt especially strongly if seated on one of the benches (similar to the feeling of sitting on a subwoofer). P.A. announcements are inconspicuous sound events on the platform, either dissipating into the air or masked by stronger sounds.

Unfortunately, the reflection-free environment on the elevated platform comes at the cost of a reflection-heavy space underneath the tracks. The train’s departing rattle actually became louder when I descended the staircase towards the sidewalk, as the reflections echoed onto Broadway like a cannon. This is the opposite of the sensation of leaving a subterranean station.

86th St Q

Operating since: 2017

Station type: Underground

Weekday Usage: 25,455; 46th system wide

Weekend Usage: 29,540; 33rd system wide

Lines served: Q Second Avenue/Broadway Express/Brighton Local

Soundmarks: Escalators, New transit announcements

Acoustic Fidelity Rating: High

As one of the newest stations in the city, the 86th St Q is a symbol of the current progress of the MTA. Acoustic fidelity is high at this station for several reasons: noise absorption is effective, P.A. announcements are understandable, and musical performances don’t clash with the functional sound sources.

Engineering firm Arup was responsible for the acoustic design of this station, and others on the extended Second Avenue line. I interviewed project leader Joe Solway to find out exactly what measures they implemented. Their main goal was to create an efficient acoustic environment that would fit in with the existing transit system, and wouldn’t create a new sound disturbance for the residents in buildings above.

Throughout the station’s walls and ceilings are perforated panels, under which fiberglass boards absorb some of the sound. The tracks aren’t bolted to the floor as in other stations, instead they sit on concrete boots encased in rubber, which greatly reduces vibrations that could be sent throughout the structure. There’s also fiberglass under the platform to further absorb the sound of the wheels at the source. JBL speakers are used for the entire P.A. system, which provides a consistent sound quality throughout the station.

The tracks were built very deep underground, so the 13 escalators in the station are a prominent ambient sound source and element of the commuter experience. They fill the otherwise quiet station with a humming, clunking rhythm. P.A. speakers also line the walls next to the escalators, allowing passengers to be better informed of a train’s arrival.

In addition to the updated speaker systems, there are also new versions of the standard P.A. announcements heard at most other stations. These recordings are much more human-sounding, with natural pauses and intonations. I even went to the ticket booth to make sure the attendants weren’t making the announcements themselves. The script was also changed, for example, “Ladies and Gentleman” was omitted for a more inclusive “Good Evening,” or the appropriate time of day. Most noticeably, the sound-dampening materials prevent the announcements from unnecessarily reflecting. Consequently, at times they’re not audible enough.

The 86th St station’s mezzanine is an officially designated musical performance area, as a part of the MTA’s Arts & Design program. One performance (from the platform, an unofficial performance area) can be heard on track 10 of the accompanying recordings. On top of mitigating train noise, the absence of reflective materials, such as the tile that usually covers station walls, creates a much friendlier acoustic environment for music performance.

Public surveys

After gathering my own thoughts and data on the soundscapes, I turned to surveying other riders, inside and outside the chosen stations. When asked what sounds they like or dislike, 45% of participants acknowledged a dislike of “screeching sounds.” Other people offered positive opinions, even fondness for the sounds of the train. For instance, one person said the repetition of the door-closing announcement had become a comforting thing; a symbol to know that we’re on our way.

Another survey question inquired about the legibility of P.A. announcements. A few people said they’ve never understood any, implying that the announcements have been unclear enough times to set a poor standard. Others claimed to not even notice them. But some riders said they can make out the messages despite the sporadic quality, they’ve adapted to the system.

A 2010 report by the NY Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recommended that the MTA actively inform its users about the risk of NIHL, especially at stations with high noise levels. When asked if they knew of this risk, 60% of participants said they were unaware. Several people admitted to plugging their ears in the subway to block out the noise, and some cited the Union Square station as particularly loud and painful.

Overall, I found that the sound of the subway is in fact a significant issue for regular commuters, not just hearing-conscious ones. The inability to understand the system’s sound signals has led to frustration, and a feeling of skepticism towards the MTA. But many riders, particularly long-time residents, have accepted the train’s soundscape as part of the reality of life in the city, i.e., noisy and slow-to-change. To paraphrase some of these responses-it is what it is. What is true however, is the risk of not only hearing loss, sleep disorders, hypertension and more health issues, but “adverse social, psychological, and occupational effects” from repeated exposure to loud, broadband sounds. The subway is only one of the many sources of noise exposure in New York City. The next time you ride, consider bringing a pair of earplugs.

This article is only a brief summary, and should you want to read more, the full paper is available here. The stereo recordings made at each station can be listened to here.