The Challenge
After receiving many complaints, the New York State DOT needed a study of the effects of noise from rumble strips in a neighborhood in Guilderland, NY, near Albany.
The Strategy
HMMH conducted close-in measurements of individual vehicle pass-bys and background noise measurements in the community. Using the Traffic Noise Model's (TNM's) propagation algorithms to project rumble strip noise spectra to the community, we assessed impact with respect to background noise levels and evaluated alternative noise reduction measures including:
- Installing a barrier along the right-of-way
- Installing a parapet along the median
- Relocating the closest rumble strips
The Solution
Relocating the rumble strips proved to be the most effective measure.
