Quiet revolution: Petah Tikva deploys noise sensors in public parks

Noise-capturing cameras were set up one a year and a half year ago to identify and fine “drivers who honk for no apparent reason.”

By Pesach Benson, TPS

To combat noise pollution, Petah Tikva became the first Israeli municipality to begin installing sound sensors in parks on Monday as part of a pilot project to collect data and provide real-time alerts for excessive noise.

“As part of the municipality’s activities to maintain order in the public space and prevent noise pollution, this year the innovative system for enforcing noise on the road began operating in Petah Tikva – for the first time in the country,” said Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Greenberg.

The first sensors were placed in the city’s Neve Gan Park. More than 250,000 people live in Petah Tikva, east of Tel Aviv.

Dganit Tal, head of the municipality’s environment department, explained to The Press Service of Israel that the initiative builds on a pilot project to reduce excessive honking by motorists.

“We have several major roads inside the city, with traffic at any time of the day, with multi-story residential buildings on both sides. It is hard for the residents to have this amount of noise coming from the windows,” Tal told TPS-IL.

Noise-capturing cameras were set up one and a half years ago to identify and fine “drivers who honk for no apparent reason.”

Tal told TPS-IL, “Since the start of the project, some 1,400 drivers have been penalized. We don’t do this to get some extra money to the city budget, we want to educate the people, and we see it works.”

According to Tal, the number of tickets issued has dropped by 40 percent since the traffic pilot’s launch.

She explained that the sensors installed in the Neve Gan Park will send info to the municipal center.

“Once the system identifies large gatherings, especially of young people, a city patrol will be able to arrive at the place and warn against making too much noise even before this happens,” Tal said.

Noise pollution refers to excessive or disruptive sounds that negatively impact the health, well-being, or comfort of humans and wildlife. It is typically caused by human activities, such as traffic, industrial operations, construction, loud music, and machinery.

Prolonged exposure to noises 70 decibels or louder — such as a vacuum cleaner at close range — can harm hearing or health.

Noise pollution has been associated with hearing loss, stress, sleep disturbances, cardiovascular issues, and reduced productivity.

For wildlife, researchers have found it can disrupt communication, navigation and even breeding.