New York City noise pollution research

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Every day in New York City, you hear trains screeching, horns honking, sirens blaring -- and that is just on your morning commute. New York is loud; too loud for some people.

Researchers from NYU's Center for Urban Science and Progress and Music and Audio Research Laboratory have teamed up to study the problem of urban noise pollution. They are doing so by building and using smart sensors that look like microphones.

The project is called Sounds of New York City. It is in its early stages. Right now, researchers are building what they call an intelligent sensor network. It does much more than just measure sound levels. The devices can also identify the source of the noise. The goal of Sounds of New York City is to improve quality of life in this and other cities.

During the next phase of the project, sensors will transmit real-time information. Researchers will then provide it to city agencies.

Right now, 15 acoustic sensors are located throughout the NYU campus. By the end of the year, that number will rise to 50 and by early 2017 you will see 100 smart sensors all throughout New York City.