Title: Computer prediction of Sydney residents affected by traffic noise with changing motor vehicle noise emission standards
Abstract: A computer model has been developed to calculate traffic noise exposure of residences in any given area using simple regional data on human and vehicle populations, total road length and vehicle kilometres travelled. Other inputs to the model are vehicle noise levels, the lengths of various categories of road and frequency distributions of traffic counts and traffic speeds in each road category. Results of the application of this model to Sydney over the years 1965 to 2015 are presented. It is estimated that the number of people seriously affected by traffic noise (ie, by levels above 65 dba 24hr leq) has risen from 142,000 in 1965 to 335,000 in 1985, with the number of people affected by 55 to 65 dba increasing from 740,000 to 1.2 Million over that period. As to the future, if no further motor vehicle controls are introduced then the number of people seriously affected will rise to 734,000 in 2015. For comparison, the results of modelling an alternative, more stringent, control scenario are also presented. In this scenario it is assumed that the standards due for introduction in the European economic community (eec) over 1986 to 1989 are adopted as from 1/1/1990. The number of people seriously affected would be almost halved in the year 2000 to 285,000 and be 390,000 by 2015.
Publication Year: 1986
Publication Date: 1986-10-01
Language: en
Type: article
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