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Project Experience

Civic & Community, Commercial, Industrial & Energy, Residential & Mixed Use, Transportation

Noise Policy and Regulation Experience


About These Projects

BKL has worked with governments of all levels—municipal, provincial, federal—to advise on appropriate acoustical and environmental noise criteria. Our experience includes reviewing proposed regulations, developing new regulations, preparing supporting documentation, and presenting to councils and the public.

Common Acoustical Challenges:

  • Environmental and Community Noise
  • Government
  • Noise & Vibration Management Plans
  • Permitting

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority—Noise and Nuisance Management and Monitoring Plans

In partnership with VFPA’s environmental programs and communications staff, BKL developed two comprehensive guidelines to help VFPA manage noise and nuisances in its four major trade areas. In preparing these guidelines BKL attended in-person interviews with port tenants to better understand its operations and constraints.

City of Richmond—Noise Control Bylaw Development

When the City undertook a full rewrite of its noise control bylaw, BKL helped develop its rationale for change. BKL also created a public survey and presented at council meetings and hearings, business and community stakeholder meetings, and public open houses. Once the criteria was determined for the new bylaw, BKL applied it to existing noise complaint scenarios, developed a manual and helped train bylaw officers.

BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure—Highway Noise Policy Review

BKL attended meetings and performed a detailed review of proposed revisions to the Ministry’s highway noise policy.

City of Vancouver—Entertainment Zone Noise Criteria Development

For the City of Vancouver, BKL developed appropriate noise criteria for a new residential development in the northeast False Creek entertainment district in downtown Vancouver. BKL developed additional language for the City’s noise bylaw, attended council hearings, reviewed associated acoustical reports submitted by developers and developed a commissioning procedure to determine compliance.

Township of Langley

BKL performed a detailed review of proposed revisions to the Township’s noise control bylaw.

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority—Environmental Noise Assessment Guidelines Review

BKL was retained to perform a technical review of the proposed environmental noise assessment guidelines before they were published.

BC Ministry of Labour, Citizens’ Services & Open Government—Review of Acoustic Standards

BKL performed a technical review and developed recommendations to update the BC Government Offices and Correctional Facilities acoustical standards in 2012 and presented our recommendations to government staff.

BC Ministry of Labour, Citizens’ Services & Open Government—Review of Speech Privacy Acoustic Standards

BKL performed a technical review and updated the acoustic standards for government offices in 2009 for the Accommodation and Real Estate Services department and presented our recommendations to government staff.

BC Ministry of Mines, Energy….

YVR Noise Sensitive Policy Development

City of Vancouver Acoustics Standards Development

City of Vancouver SkyTrain Noise Criteria and Best Practice Development

Featured Case Study

City of Vancouver Event Zone Noise Criteria

City of Vancouver Event Zone Noise Criteria

Vancouver's Northeast False Creek neighbourhood is a unique area of the city, with more than 7,000 residents living near BC Place and Rogers Arena, two of BC's largest event venues. New developments adjacent to these venues mean residents can be exposed to high noise levels during events, and the number of events per year has been steadily increasing. While the City had clauses in its noise bylaw to address entertainment noise, proposals for many new, expensive condominiums and the increasing frequency of events at nearby venues led to City staff wonder if the existing bylaw would be enough to protect the livability of these proposed dwellings. The City retained BKL in an advisory role from 2008 to 2016 to deal with noise concerns surrounding the development of the Northeast False Creek district. BKL delivered project-specific services that helped the City find solutions to its problem of managing noise at residences in this new event zone. BKL's services included the following: BKL's commitment to providing high-quality professional services for the duration of the project enabled the City to address livability concerns for proposed residential developments, minimizing its risk as it issued permits and rezoned this developing area. Have a project in mind? Get in touch today.