“Noise is the New Smoking”
Independent Jay Gotra has lived in a single-family residential home in East Greenwich for 14 years. He has never lived in PVD on an ongoing basis, but said he has spent considerable time in the city staying in hotels and corporate apartments, and it’s helped him “understand the noise issues that Providence residents face on … Read more
Why noise is more than just a “quality of life” issue When it comes to public policy, the words we use matter. Too often, excessive noise is referred to as a “quality of life” issue — including by people such as Providence Mayor Brett Smiley who claim to know it’s far more than that: a public … Read more
The Noise Project sent surveys to all of the ballot-eligible candidates for the primary election for Rhode Island offices that represent all or parts of Providence. We did not survey independent candidates, but will do so in October in advance of the general election. Below are our assessments of their responses. (RI House District 1) … Read more
The Noise Project surveys ballot-qualified candidates for Providence offices including mayor and City Council, as well as state offices, and surveys independents after party primaries. Our endorsements are based on candidates’ responses, public statements, and direct communications with our organization, and are focused on noise issues. We do not take positions on non-noise city policies … Read more
We Endorse RI Rep. David Morales in the 2026 Providence Mayoral Primary In 2022, the Noise Project surveyed all three mayoral candidates and, on the basis of their answers, endorsed two of them: Brett Smiley and Nirva LaFortune. Having recently surveyed the two candidates in the 2026 primary (now-Mayor Smiley and RI Rep. David Morales), … Read more
2026 Mayoral Candidate Survey Results The Noise Project surveys ballot-qualified candidates for Providence and RI elections that include PVD, and issues endorsements based on their responses, record in office (if any), public statements, and any communications with the Project itself. Below is our assessment of the survey results for the mayoral primary. Jump to our … Read more
Our response to the PVD Eye article on noise in Providence We appreciate the PVD Eye and reporter Eric Halvarson’s coverage of noise issues in Providence,1 and specifically what their article described as the “frustration, and in some cases, dangerous health effects” of the city’s haphazard and inconsistent approach to noise and noise enforcement. The … Read more
Federal Judge: EPA Can’t Ignore Noise Pollution In a July 2026 ruling in a civil lawsuit, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court in Washington, DC, found that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unlawfully neglected its legal obligation to address unhealthy noise under the 1972 Noise Control Act for more than 40 … Read more
We Cautiously Endorse Matt McDermott for City Council Of the five official candidates in the Ward 2 City Council special election, three of the four Democratic candidates responded to our survey on noise issues and policy. We were disappointed that David Caldwell didn’t respond — despite publicly citing noise as an issue — and could not reach Brown … Read more
In late 2024, Providence City Council member and Environment Committee chair Sue AnderBois (Ward 3) introduced a proposed amendment (47724) to regulate the use of heavily-polluting gas-fueled leafblowers and similar landscaping equipment in the city. The amendment co-sponsors were Council members John Goncalves (Ward 1), Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Miguel Sanchez (Ward 5), Ana Vargas … Read more