Study of Traffic Noise Pollution on busy corridors in Chennai

Elevated noise levels due to vehicular traffic are cause of great concern in residential areas. They can significantly reduce property values apart fromcausing health hazard. TheTraffic Noise Model (TNM) is typically used to estimate noise levels due to vehicular traffic by integrating GIS buffer modeling capability and theTNMmethodology. Ten commercial road networks were selected for this study and it was found that the noise levels can be effectively predicted by the developed model. The noise levels predicted were above the prescribed limits.Abuffer analysis of noise levels was developed usingArc GIS to represent noise pollution areas in Chennai city. The recognition of road traffic noise as one of the main sources of environmental pollution has led to develop models that enable to predict noise level. The main objective of the present study is to develop an empirical noise prediction model for the evaluation of equivalent noise level (Leq) in terms of equivalent traffic density number under heterogeneous traffic flow conditions.The aim of enlightened governmental controls should be to protect citizens fromthe adverse effects of airborne pollution, including those produced by noise.