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EFFECT OF TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES ON IMPROVEMENT OF ACOUSTIC CLIMATE

Dominik Kacprzak

Abstract

Constant increase of traffic volumes exacerbates transportation problems and causes deterioration of safety and life conditions of village inhabitants in the vicinity of throughways. To reduce the adverse effect of road traffic, introduction of traffic calming devices in entry zones has been used for years. Their success in speed reduction and improvement of acoustic climate were dependent on the type of devices, their location and how frequently they were distributed along the pedestrian crossing across the throughway. The author conducted measurements of road conditions in several villages located along throughways, where single-sided chicanes were introduced in entry zones. Examination were performed on entry zones, following a long stretch of a straight road in plan view. Examinations aimed at estimating the effect of the applied traffic calming devices in village entry zones on the improvement of acoustic climate in the vicinity of the road. Measurements of traffic volume, speed and road noise were carried out at the same time on five road sections, before and after the traffic calming devices that posed physical obstacles for motorists and required bending the trajectory and then returning to the original trajectory. Measurements determined ?before? and ?after? speeds, i.e. speed reduction in free and continuous traffic. Similar noise measurements revealed noise change before and after the chicane. An analysis of results was conducted and the effect of speed reduction on noise reduction was assessed. Consequently, the effect of traffic calming devices on the improvement of acoustic climate within their effective range was concluded on the effect of chicane on speed reduction. The difference between ?before? and ?after? traffic noise is proportional to the obtained speed reduction. Hence, to reduce the adverse effects of traffic noise on inhabitants of neighboring houses located in entry zones, it is important to reduce speed to maximum levels permitted by traffic calming devices.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2018/6.3/s27.069

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