Influence of urban road characteristics on traffic noise

Abstract

Urban road networks significantly influence traffic noise. However, existing studies have neglected the causal chain between road characteristics and traffic noise; thus, clarity on their influencing mechanisms is lacking. In this study, structural equation models were developed to explore the mediated effect of road characteristics on traffic noise through traffic flow using data from field measurement in Dalian City, China; paired comparisons of scenarios though microscopic and macroscopic traffic simulations were performed for further analysis. The results show that lane number influences traffic noise mainly in terms of the number of vehicles in a group (NVG). More lanes indicate increased traffic demand due to connected urban land, which increases the NVG and, in turn, increases noise intensity but decreases noise amplitude. The influence of road segment length (RSL) on traffic noise mainly depends on the suppression effect. A longer RSL allows for higher vehicle speeds, leading to increased noise intensity and reduced noise amplitude. This also indicates that traffic flows disperse more easily, decreasing the NVG and, in turn, reducing noise intensity and increasing noise amplitude. Road junctions (RJ), which are classified according to the presence or absence of traffic lights, have significant direct effects on both noise intensity and noise amplitude, which are both likely to increase as drivers accelerate or decelerate in the middle of the road segment. These findings provide a reference for local governments and urban planners when working to improve quality of life in urban areas.

Percepción de la población respecto al ruido producido por el transporte público en el distrito de Barranca, Lima, Perú

“…Asimismo, Lu et al (2019) concluyen que los niveles de ruido y la percepción de las personas en zonas urbanas no depende solo de la cantidad de vehículos, sino de las condiciones de las vías y la presencia o no de semáforos.…”

Soundscape Evaluation Comparison of Outdoor Activity Space Between Gated and Open Communities

“…The Wald-Wolfowitz runs test (Wald and Wolfowtiz, 1940;Bartels, 1982;Lu et al, 2019) conducted on 14 sets of data evaluations for each participant showed that the majority of the runs were insignificant, indicating that the datasets evaluated by each participant were independent. This inference can also be explained empirically.…”

Measurements of urban traffic parameters before and after road reconstruction

“…The implementation of this project contributed to the increase in safety, but also caused a lot of nuisance during construction, e.g. noise for local residents and road users [20].…”