ASTORIA — A federal lawmaker is looking to stifle the sounds of passing trains at city schools located near rail lines, including one in Astoria where parents say sound from the elevated N/Q train disrupts students' learning.
Rep. Joseph Crowley is introducing a bill that would study the effect of train noise on classrooms and provide funding for impacted schools to soundproof their buildings.
The lawmaker announced the federal legislation Monday at Astoria's P.S. 85, where parents and elected officials have been pushing for changes to mitigate noise from the N/Q train, which passes directly in front of the school as often as every 2 minutes during rush hour.
Parents say students are so used to the loud rumble of passing trains that the school uses a hand signal — holding up a peace sign — to signify that someone can't be heard.
"As another school year begins, it is unconscionable that so many children whose schools are located near elevated trains are forced to learn under these adverse conditions," Crowley said in a statement.
"If we are serious about helping our children reach their full potential, providing an adequate and peaceful learning environment is priority number one."
The bill, called the "Peaceful Learning Act of 2014," would commission a study to examine the effect of railway noise on classrooms and set guidelines for acceptable noise levels.
Schools impacted by excessive noise would be eligible for funding to "construct barriers, acoustical shielding or otherwise soundproof their facilities," according to an announcement.
P.S. 85 is located at 23-70 31st St., next to the elevated N/Q train tracks.
Parents and elected officials rallied at the school last year to call for noise abatement measures for both the building and the rail lines. The MTA made repairs to the tracks in April to help reduce noise, installing lubrication systems and replacing switches and rails.
"We've been fighting for classrooms quiet enough for learning to take place at P.S. 85 for nearly a year now, and while the MTA took some baby steps to fix the problem, it remains nowhere near solved," state Sen. Michael Gianaris said in a statement.
"I am proud to support Rep. Crowley's Peaceful Learning Act, and I will continue to be a fierce advocate for peaceful classrooms at P.S. 85 and throughout New York City."
Crowley's bill is modeled on the Federal Aviation Administration’s Noise Abatement Program, which helps schools near airports soundproof their buildings.
