Traffic Noise Management: The Dutch Approach
Invited paper
Rijkswaterstaat
Monday 1 june, 2015, 17:20 - 17:40
0.7 Lisbon (47)
Abstract:
Over the past years, The Netherlands have developed a legal system to manage
noise production
from traffic on highways in order to increase environmental protection of
residents. It replaces a
complex system that focussed mainly on noise immission along new
infrastructure, allowing traffic
noise levels to increase unlimited along existing national roads.
Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch national
road authority, implemented this new system. To handle traffic noise along
the Dutch highways simple
and efficient, the new system is built upon three pillars: (1) manage
traffic noise production, (2) reduce
noise levels above 65 dB Lden and (3) stimulate innovative measures like
noise reducing pavements.
This will allow Rijkswaterstaat to accommodate traffic growth and meet the
traffic noise goals in the
future.
The new system is built upon a large set of reference points in close
proximity of the highways. Every
reference point has its own maximum noise limit: the noise production limit.
When the actual noise
level is getting close to the noise production limit (using an early warning
system, five years ahead),
noise reduction measures have to be programmed and realised. Also, a large
noise remediation
programme has started to realise noise measures (noise barriers, noise
reducing pavements,
insulation) on locations with traffic noise immission levels above 65 dB
Lden. And finally, noise
reducing pavements have been developed. A tight integration with the asset
management of roads
surfaces is required in order to reduce costs and realise measures timely.
The paper focuses on the goals, challenges, constraints and outcome of the
new system a few years
after introduction.