New York Times New York Today: A Holiday Market for El Barrio by Derek Norman

New York is the city that never shuts up.

And if you’ve ever had the displeasure of being woken up by the shrill whine of a drill or other construction equipment, some good news: The City Council is expected to pass legislation today to keep things quieter.

“Our new law will turn down the volume on after-hours construction noise in residential neighborhoods,” said Councilman Ben Kallos, who wrote the bill with the support of the Department of Environmental Protection and who has made the dimming of noise one of his top priorities.

The legislation requires that the city address construction-related noise complaints as they are happening, instead of days or weeks later. Inspectors will be equipped with technology to measure noise levels from the street, rather than from inside an apartment, and they will have the authority to issue on-the-spot stop work orders for disruptive construction that violates the new rules.

We like the sound of that.