Friday, October 26, 2012

Astoria train noise abatement plan

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

That older blond haired lady goes a long way explaining why the ilk of Vallone is in power in that community and why the Vallones never get anywhere once they leave the safety of their local lumpen prols.

Anonymous said...

Two questions for Peter:

If its so loud, why are you encouraging six story buildings where two used to stand along the tracks?

Is the noise a factor in dampening development and rental of units along that tracks and that is why you are interested and the city responds?

Take note: if its Astoria, the only time things get notice is if it encourages development.

Anonymous said...

You can't get rid of the “bad” parts of technology and retain only the “good” parts.


So basically, DEAL WITH IT.

Anonymous said...

MTA is simply going to make sure nothing is broken. They're going to find that...nothing is broken, that's just what trains sound like.

Anonymous said...

Actually CWR (continuosy welded rail) and rubber isolators will cut down the noise considerably.................except that screeching in the turns.....

Anonymous said...

Why can't they cover up the metal like its covered on the seven line on queens blvd, sure its a big job but would last forever..

Anonymous said...

Anon No. 6: You would have to completely rebuild the entire elevated structure. Who has the money for that?

Anonymous said...

CWR still need expansion joints that make noise. If you ever went over the Manhattan Bridge on a train, you know what they sound like. Until the MTA converts the Astoria line to CBTC, you also still need track circuits for block signalling. That requires electrically insulated rail joints.

The MTA could look into new ladder track technology that support and isolate the rail. Look up LR55. It was designed for light rail, but can work for subways.

The screeching around curves can be reduced by swapping out the rail car bogies with radial steering axles that allow the wheels to more follow the curve instead of grinding into it. Its one thing that TA didn't consider when ordering the cars in the current fleet. Better flange greasing could also mitigate the screech.

There's a big difference between the Queens Blvd viaduct and Astoria El. That viaduct is a hybrid concrete and steel structure requires column footings large enough to block the parking lane on 31st st. Additionally, 31st street is much narrower and runs under the Astoria El, while Queens Blvd is wider and brackets the Queens Blvd Viaduct. The metal El structure, with all the noise it transmits and generates, also lets some light down to the street below.