SENATE DOCKET, NO. 740        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2302

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Walter F. Timilty

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act directing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to install sound barriers in Quincy and Braintree.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Walter F. Timilty

Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol

 

John F. Keenan

Norfolk and Plymouth

 

Mark J. Cusack

5th Norfolk

8/25/2023


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 740        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2302

By Mr. Timilty, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2302) of Walter F. Timilty and John F. Keenan for legislation to direct the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to install sound barriers in Quincy and Braintree.  Transportation.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2343 OF 2021-2022.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act directing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to install sound barriers in Quincy and Braintree.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is hereby directed to conduct a comprehensive sound study along the Red Line extension to Braintree, so-called, from the Neponset River Bridge to the Braintree Red Line Train Station, to determine the ambient noise level, using the background A-weighted sound pressure levels that is exceeded ninety percent of the time measured during equipment operating hours over a minimum of a twenty-four period, less the noise generated by the existing MBTA trains. Said study shall be conducted by an acoustical engineer employed by or on behalf of the MBTA. In those residential areas where the decibel level generated by the Red Line trains exceeds the ambient level by ten or more decibels, the MBTA is hereby ordered and directed to install sound barriers in order to mitigate said noise pollution problems.

Said barriers shall be of a design approved by an acoustical engineer hired by or employed by the Transit Authority. Said design shall then be approved by said Authority and local Board(s) of Health(s) Departments after a public hearing process.