Road Traffic Noise Exposure in the City of Novi Sad: Trend Analysis and Possible Solutions

Abstract

This paper evaluated exposure to road traffic noise in the city of Novi Sad, the second largest city in the Republic of Serbia. It has been investigated using analysis and systematization of the results on noise intensity in the city of Novi Sad, whether this parameter is within the approved limits for noise intensity during the day and night and whether it is in accordance with provisions of national norms of permissible noise levels in the environment, that is whether this parameter endangers people or not. In this work were used data from the Institute for Public Health of Vojvodina-Department of Residential Hygiene, which were obtained by measuring the noise intensity at 18 points in the city. Levels of noise, during the period of analysis, are usually higher than permitted and range from 1dB(A) to 8dB(A) during the day, and from 1db(A) to 9dB(A) at night. It has been determined that the noise intensity is in strong positive correlation (r s = 0.73) with the number of vehicles in traffic. Even though the noise intensity in the period observed has a decreasing trend, the fact that it is still higher than permitted in school and residential zones is particularly worrying. It has also been determined that traffic noise is one of the leading urban problems in the city of Novi Sad, and therefore it is necessary to implement some of the plans for protection, mentioned in the work, for its reduction.

Assessment and Predictions of Air Traffic Noise at Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, Libya

“…To assess how well the ANN models are performing in terms of precision, the criterion used is the root mean square error (RMSE). The RMSE is calculated using the following equation [16]: (3) where O i is the observed value and P i is the computational value. The n parameter represent the number of data.…”

“…However, according to Fallah-Shorshani et al [2] in recent years the issue of noise caused by traffic is becoming increasingly concerning. Because of that it requires a comprehensive and coordinated effort from all stakeholders to effectively address it and achieve the desired outcome of acceptable noise levels in different areas of the city [3]. Also, it should be noted that ambient noise and air pollution frequently appear together since they stem from identical origins, namely traffic [4], which is even more concerning because previous studies confirmed spatial connection between noise caused by traffic and air pollution [5].…”

Comparing Traffic Noise Levels between Signalized Intersections and Roundabouts in an Urban Environment

“…In case the traffic situation warrants the selection of an option that generates more traffic noise, appropriate noise management strategies should be considered. For instance, introducing noise-reducing vegetation zones near intersections, installing noise barriers, and diverting traffic from heavily congested road networks are some recommendations that can be adopted by public agencies (47)(48)(49). Also, sustainable urbanization strategies such as controlling vehicle usage by creating environmental awareness, encouraging the use of more sustainable means of transport such as public transit, specifying traffic noise guidelines for roadway design, planning land use for noise-sensitive areas, and awareness campaigns need to be implemented by governments, public agencies, policymakers, and urban planners to reduce excessive traffic noise levels in urban areas (50,51).…”

Development of materials obtained from recycled cars and their subsequent use in noise reduction

“…7 Tire recycling is also a social problem. 8,9 Tire separation technology and tire reuse are still very difficult. As some of the tires are environmentally hazardous, procedures need to be developed to eliminate this risk.…”