Acoustifence® reduces Seattle light rail noise

When the Link light rail system first began running in July 2009, Rainier Valley and Tukwilla residents in south Seattle were upset with the noise.

Sound Transit Authority’s
Justin Garrod, project manager for the Link rail system was called upon to find
a solution to the noise level that exceeded federal standards in south Seattle
and interfered with the area residents’ quality of life. After doing the
research and trying other methods, Garrod and his staff decided to try
Acoustifence, which is comprised of a sound deadening material. He thought it
would be a temporary fix until a permanent solution could be found.

After hanging the
Acoustifence from 5,000 feet of guardrail flanking the actual rail tracks,
Gerrod realized he had found a permanent solution.

"We’re convinced this is
it, this is the answer to the noise problem," Garrod said. "Acoustifence met
all the criteria, it’s cost effective, easy to maintain and an 
excellent sound
deadening material."

Additionally,
installation was easy as the Acoustifence can be cut to size for a custom fit
and attached with supplied industrial strength nylon ties connecting the
material to the existing guardrail.

"We combined the
Acoustifence material with rail grinding (another noise reduction measure) and
the combined results were exactly what we needed," Garrod said.

When Sound Transit was
originally designing the Link light rail system, noise levels were predicted by
examining studies on the noise output of other similar light rail transit
systems in other cities.

Based on the expected
noise levels, mitigation features were designed into the original project.
These features included sound-insulating some of the homes along Martin Luther
King Jr. Way S. in south Seattle and constructing noise walls in Tukwila.
Still, the noise deadening measures taken did not work for all areas of
Tukwila, with some noise still exceeding federal standards.

Steve Hibbens, rail noise
consultant for Acoustiblok, the company that manufactures and distributes
Acoustifence, said the solution worked so well, Sound Transit Authority plans to
order more of the patented noise abatement material to keep in stock. Hibbens
is also working with Atlanta’s rail system, 
MARTA, implementing Acoustiblok
All Weather Sound Panels to absorb rail noise.