Soundscapes- A Sustainability Approach to Transportation Noise Management

09.01.2013 | HMMH |

 

TR News 288; copyright National Academy of Sciences, posted with permission of TRB

The goal of environmental sustainability presents new challenges to traditional notions of how transportation systems and their components affect the quality of life. For transportation noise management, the shift to planning for sustainability advances the concept of the soundscape or sound environment. In this context, the quality of life is improved to the extent that the soundscape is deemed desirable—that is, appropriate for the location and the associated activity.

To pursue desirable soundscapes as part of the transportation planning process, policy makers, engineers, and design professionals will need to understand subjective judgments about the sonic environment. Soundscape considerations are likely to alter the analysis and design processes, particularly in relation to noise barriers, quieter pavement, and source reduction.

This 2013 guide, produced in collaboration with the Senior Transportation Engineer at the Maryland State Highway Administration, looks at the sources of noise pollution and the impacts that improving soundscapes have on the surrounding areas.

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