EVALUATION OF BENEFITS TO THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY PROGRAM PROVIDED BY RELATION OF VEHICLE NOISE EMISSIONS

Federal, state, and local governments are currently attempting to control the noise produced by roadway traffic. These controls are directed either at the source (vehicle noise emission regulations), or at the path (roadway location, noise barrier construction, land acquisition, or noise insulation for housing). This report computes the reduction in community noise levels produced by various source control strategies. These reductions in community noise levels are used to compare the various source control strategies, and to assess the relative effects of source control on path control. One of these effects is a reduction in required noise barrier heights. These reductions in height are computed and are translated into dollar savings per mile of noise barrier built.