Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

PVD Noise Project

@pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social

45 followers 72 following 76 posts

Addressing the culture of #noise in one of America’s oldest cities. #Noisepollution is a #publichealth and #environmentaljustice issue — and prevention is preferable to punishment. “Noise is the New Smoking.” More information at ProvidenceNoiseProject.org.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · Dec 4

A Quieter World Is Possible: “#Noise is inevitable in a big city; harmful noise levels are not. ‘It's important to distinguish between the types of sounds that populations will [naturally] produce versus the … unnecessary noise that we're willing to deal with and accept’.” www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/no-more-noise-toronto-1.7038351

t.co

1 2

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 10h

We call on @Rachel-RI.bsky.social to pause next week’s vote on the current amendment to allow a short period to revise it, then vote on the improved version later this month.

The amendment doesn’t kick in until 2027 — what’s the rush to pass a flawed version now instead of a better one in 3 weeks?

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 10h

After a long delay since the February public hearing, the Environment Committee’s 15-minute approval and full City Council vote seem unnecessarily rushed.

Most PVD residents didn’t get a chance to review the version the Committee rubber-stamped, and expected more improvements to the original draft.

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 11h

> “If it fails to pass or is veto’d, it’ll set it all back by at least a year or two to get a future version passed”

Not true — you can amend the current version to reduce the unnecessary 5-year delay to 2–3 years, as PVD’s director of #sustainability advocates. We’d support and mayor will sign it.

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 11h

> “The phase out begins with a seasonal phase out in 2027, which is less than 2 years away.”

Nothing happens until 2027, then the process freezes for another FIVE years — leaving PVD residents and landscaping workers exposed to #noise and other toxic #airpollution every day every autumn until 2033!

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 11h

> “bringing folks to the table is an important part of the process”

Knowing who you represent is an even more important part of the process. A municipal ordinance is intended to protect the health and environment of Providence residents, who elect the City Council to represent them — not all of RI.

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 12h

> “Getting this passed and implemented is what I’m doing to best serve my community”

That’s exactly the point: As written, the prohibition on gas leafblowers in Providence won’t be implemented for EIGHT years. How does that serve your community in *PVD* (not all of RI, which you keep referring to)?

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 12h

> “Most folks I talk with want the phase-out”

We also support a phase-out — that was never the issue. It was always about how *long* the phase-out should be. The amendment cites gas leafblowers’ adverse health and environmental effects, but then takes EIGHT years to phase them out. That’s too long.

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 12h

> “PVD based businesses serve other parts of the state & vice versa.”

The @PVDCityCouncil.bsky.social doesn’t govern other parts of the state, which get to decide how much pollution they want to endure there, just like PVD residents decide that here through you — and non-PVD businesses must comply.

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 12h

> “Getting legislation actually passed & implemented often requires working [with] many folks.”

And even more folks when you include people who don’t live in PVD — and who have city council members (and RI reps / senators) where *they* live.

We need you to represent PVD residents — not all of RI!

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 13h

> “We have landscapers based in … other parts of RI & surrounding states who operate all over the state”

You sound like an RI legislator — @PVDCityCouncil.bsky.social is supposed to focus on needs of *PVD* residents, who’ve already endured leafblower #noise for many years and can’t wait eight more!

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 1d

@PVDCityCouncil.bsky.social member @SueAnderBois.bsky.social, a quick question: Do you have any data on the total number of landscaping workers who actually live *in* Providence (i.e., not those who live outside the city but work in it sometimes), and how much time they actually spend working here?

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 10d

“The police don’t seem to pursue loud and revving vehicles, racing vehicles, clusters of motorcycles doing wheelies, and other dangerous driving on residential streets.”
— Providence resident living near intersection of Veazie Street and Douglas Avenue in Wanskuck (Ward 14) @shelpvd14.bsky.social

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 17d

>”It’s not a meeting with comment”

Councilmember @SueAnderBois.bsky.social, your statement above is confusing, because the online agenda for the Sept. 24 Environment Committee meeting includes item 3. Public Comment. Can you please confirm if attendees can comment at the end of the meeting? Thanks.

A screenshot of the agenda for the Sept. 24 Providence City Council Environment Committee meeting that includes item 3: Public Comment.

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 17d

Councilmember @SueAnderBois.bsky.social, we think we now know why you never responded to multiple queries on how PVD residents could see the revised version of your proposed #leafblower ordinance amendment — after EIGHT months, we don’t see any substantive changes to it. Are we missing something? 🤷🏻‍♂️

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 17d

The @PVDCityCouncil.bsky.social Environment Committee meets 9/24 at 5:30pm to discuss the LONG-overdue ordinance regulating gas-fueled #leafblowers. If you can’t attend the meeting on just 2 days notice, ask @Rachel-RI.bsky.social why the Council withholds info. providenceri.iqm2.com/Citizens/Det...

2025/09/24 05:30 PM Special Committee on Environment and Resiliency Regular Meeting - Web Outline - City of Providence

providenceri.iqm2.com

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 18d

Still doesn’t explain why meetings that @PVDCityCouncil.bsky.social members know about weeks in advance aren’t formally announced to the public until two days before. How is that in the #publicinterest? And you STILL haven’t said how residents can see the revised version of the leafblower ordinance.

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 18d

The Open Meetings Act is intended as an absolute *minimum* standard for public notice. The @PVDCityCouncil.bsky.social clearly knows far earlier than 2 days in advance when its meetings are scheduled. Why deliberately withhold that information from most residents, other than to limit participation?

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 18d

Do you and other members of the @PVDCityCouncil.bsky.social *honestly* believe that two days notice for official meetings is sufficient for PVD residents to be able to participate in city government — especially given how busy and over-scheduled everyone is? You give your own constituents two weeks.

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 18d

Today is annual World #CarFree Day, recognizing the adverse health, environmental, and social effects of personal motor vehicles in our communities. Cars are the single most-prevalent #noise source in Providence, with more than 80% of residents estimated exposed daily. ⚠️ www.unep.org/news-and-sto...

World Car-Free Day on 22 September a great opportunity to reduce air pollution

Every year on or around 22 September, cities across the globe celebrate World Car-Free Day, encouraging motorists to give up their cars for a day. The event highlights the numerous benefits of going c...

www.unep.org

1 1

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 28d

We’ve also asked several times how residents can get the most recent version of the proposed #leafblower ordinance, and *still* not gotten an answer.

Why is it so difficult for residents to find out:
1) Public meeting dates and times
2) Draft legislation to be discussed there
@Rachel-RI.bsky.social

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 28d

@PVDCityCouncil.bsky.social Environment Committee chair @SueAnderbois.bsky.social announced by newsletter it will meet Sept. 24 at 5:30 p.m. to consider long-overdue regulations for gas-fueled #leafblowers.

We don’t understand why the meeting isn’t posted on the city website. @Rachel-RI.bsky.social

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 28d

Our reference to “different versions of the meetings portal” was in response to the announcement in your Sept. 11 newsletter of the Sept. 24 meeting of the Environment Committee, and claim that meetings are “always posted” in the portal. In fact, that meeting *still* isn’t publicly posted.

Why not?

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 29d

We still don’t see anything posted on the city’s website about @PVDCityCouncil’s Environment Committee meetings since April (providenceri.iqm2.com/Citizens/Cal...). There appear to be different versions of the meetings portal with different information, which is clearly dysfunctional and confusing.

A seemingly current list of open meetings of the Providence (RI) City Council’s Environment Committee, showing dates only from January through April. Retrieved 9/11/25.

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 29d

Thanks. We see your frequent posts & responses in Bluesky and didn’t realize e-mail is your preferred platform — you should make that clear. We looked at the committee meetings portal earlier this week and didn’t see anything about the #leafblower ordinance. How can residents get the revised draft?

PVD Noise Project @pvdnoiseproject.bsky.social · 29d

Councilmember, are PVD residents who don’t live in Ward 3 forced to subscribe to the Ward 3 newsletter to get info on your @pvdcitycouncil.bsky.social activities that affect the *rest* of the city? We’ve been asking about the updated draft of the #leafblower ordinance, and still gotten no response.