Annoyance of Traffic Noise on Roads and Rail

Noise is one of the most frequently reported negative environmental effects of traffic. According to the current standards and calculation specifications, the impact of road and rail traffic noise is represented by the A-weighted energy-equivalent sound level (LA,eq). This quantity does not account for the subjective annoyance of sound events as it is perceived by the affected persons. The main focus of this research was to improve sound analysis methods in order to include the subjective effects, especially annoyance, caused by road and rail traffic noise. This improvement was made by the addition of consideration of psycho-acoustic findings to existing sound analysis methods. The result is a statistical parameter called traffic noise annoyance on roads and rail (TNAR), which should be considered for use in road and transport planning as a supplemental tool for better understanding the noise impacts of transportation projects. The tool should help engineers develop projects with reduced noise impacts.