Office of Operations Freight Management and Operations
Table of Contents

FHWA Operations Support - Port Peak Pricing Program Evaluation

Appendix B. Night-Time Trucking and Noise Regulations for Select Port Cities

B.1 Seattle, Washington

The Seattle Municipal Code establishes sound limitations based on land uses and time of day. Table B.1 shows the maximum permissible sound levels between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. during weekdays, and between 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekends, the maximum permissible sound levels established in Table B.1 are reduced by 10 dBA where the receiving property lies within a residential district of the City.

Table B.1 Seattle Permissible Sound Levels

Land Use

Noise Threshold (dBA)

Residential

55

Commercial

60

Industrial

60

Source: Seattle Municipal Code.

B.2 Houston, Texas

The Houston Municipal Code establishes sound limitations based on two land uses and times of the day. According to the Houston Municipal Code Chapter 30 on Noise and Sound Level Regulation, “Sound nuisance shall mean any sound which either exceeds the maximum permitted sound levels specified in section 30-2, or for purposes of sections 30-4 and 30-6, otherwise unreasonably disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the limits of the city.”

The maximum permissible sound levels are as follows:

  • For Residential Property:
    • 65 dBA between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.; and
    • 58 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
  • For Nonresidential Property:
    • 68 dBA during either daytime or nighttime hours.

B.3 New York City, New York

New York City has noise standards based on land use and time of day. The difference from other cities is that it explicitly states that the sound level limits in its ambient noise quality zones do not include sounds from sources such as public highways, vehicular traffic, and overflying aircraft.

Based on the New York City Code Chapter 24, Table B.2 summarizes the noise standards for the different noise quality zones.

Table B.2 New York City Permissible Sound Levels

Not Applicable

7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Residential

60

50

High-Density Residential

65

55

Commercial and Manufacturing

70

40

Source: New York City Code, Chapter 24.

In addition to specifying noise restrictions by type of land use, New York City Code restricts in Subchapter 4 the noise generated by containers and construction material. According to the code, “No person shall handle or transport or cause to be handled or transported in any public place, any container or any construction material in such a way as to create an unreasonable noise.”  However no specific decibels are given.

B.4 Norfolk, Virginia

The Code of Norfolk, Virginia Chapter 26 establishes that “Loading, unloading, opening, closing or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, garbage cans, dumpsters or similar objects between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance across a residential real property boundary or within a noise sensitive zone, is prohibited.”
Table B.3 summarizes the maximum sound pressure levels permitted by type of land use.

Table B.3 Norfolk Permissible Sound Levels

Receiving Land Use Category

Sound Level Limit dBA
7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Sound Level Limit dBA
10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Noise sensitive zone

55

50

Residential

57

52

Park and recreational

67

62

Business (commercial)

67

62

Industrial

77

77

Source: Code of Norfolk, Virginia, Chapter 26.

B.5 Oakland, California

Oakland has not established sound level limits by type of land use; however the Municipal Code Title 8 on Health and Safety states that “any annoying” and “excessive noises” are prohibited. “Annoying noise” means noise with a repetitive pattern, shrill frequencies, and/or static-like sounds, including loud music and noise attributable to, but not limited to, leaf blowers, alarms, engines, barking dogs, and other animals.

“Excessive noise” means any unnecessary noise which persists for 10 minutes or more; such period of noise need not be witnessed by enforcement personnel if the occupants of two or more separate housing or commercial units certify that they have experienced such period of noise and describe with particularity the source.

B.6 Charleston, South Carolina

As in the case of the City of Oakland, The Code of the City of Charleston Chapter 21 on Offenses does not specify sound level limits by type of land use, however it does punish loud and unnecessary noises.

According to the code “It shall be unlawful for any person to ride, drive, propel or otherwise operate a motorized vehicle in a manner which emits loud and unnecessary noise or long continued noise, either in the day time or at night, which disturbs the peace and quiet of the city, whether in the public street or on private property, or within enclosures, public or private.  The prohibitions of this subsection shall include operating a motorized vehicle by rapid throttle advancing (revving) of an internal combustion engine resulting in increased noise from the engine.” Motorized vehicle includes but is not limited to cars, trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles, motor scooters, motorized skateboards, mopeds, and low-speed neighborhood electric vehicles.

Previous Section | Next Section | Top