“There are often two to four leafblowers at two houses blowing at the same time. Our neighbor has a sound meter, and the noise very often exceeds limits that can damage hearing. During the day, the noise affects retirees, sick people at home, people who work at home, and young children, who are more vulnerable … Read more
Testimonial Category: Leafblowers
“The two major noise sources are excessively loud motorcycles / cars and leafblowers and weed whackers. Construction noise and loud beeping trucks are annoying, but it’s a temporary and necessary situation.” — College Hill resident
“Please let me know what I can do! It’s terrible here now. I want to leave.” — Fox Point resident
“I’m someone who works all day in Providence, but I don’t live here. My run-ins with the [leafblowers] are at lunch. I’d love for the city to stop [allowing] them all together. It’s a sick mix of noise, pollution, habitat / animal destruction, and for what? Someone’s instant gratification at seeing a ‘clean’ sidewalk?” — … Read more
“Noise affects my hearing, mood, and health. The street is quiet otherwise, but leafblowers and to some extent other lawncare activities are unbearable — a few neighbors use landscaping services, and it seems like every day for months they start early in the morning and go for hours.” — Resident at Vassar and Elmgrove Streets
“I’d be fine with designated days for lawncare or excessive noise if there were quiet days in between the noisy ones and I could plan around it. I’m 100% behind a leafblower ban.” — Resident at 4th and Brewster Streets
“I have been very surprised by the amount of noise since moving to Providence last year and highly affected. I had no idea about the health perspective and the way in which residents are affected systemically in Providence. I recently moved to a new house with higher rent in a different neighborhood in large part … Read more
“As I have discussed in previous Ward Letters, there is a lot of discussion in our neighborhoods about noise, and complaints about noise have increased during the pandemic as more people are working from home. One recurring issue is the use of leafblowers by landscape crews in our city. With several of my council colleagues, … Read more
“It’s getting worse — noise ordinances continue to be ignored without consequences.” — Wayland resident
“On weekends, Lincoln School has multiple gas-powered leafblowers operating for 4 hours. Mostly, they are just blowing dust around. In the fall when there are actual leaves on the ground, they sometimes go for 8 hours straight. It’s insufferable.” — Wayland resident