The Mayor's Ambient Noise Strategy - Greater London Authority

60 Mayor of London
The Mayor’s Ambient Noise Strategy
policy 3
The Mayor will seek a partnership approach with the Government, the
Highways Agency, Transport for London, and the London boroughs to
better understand traffic noise exposure, and to integrate noise
management in day-to-day operations, wherever cost-effective and
compatible with safety and other needs.
4A.7 The following sections set out policies and proposals for how traffic noise
on London’s streets may be minimised - generally following the ‘sourcepathway-receptor’
sequence. Relative importance, whether in terms of
ease of implementation, responsibility or cost-effectiveness, will vary
widely according to local circumstances. Measures are considered under
the following headings:
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Quieter vehicles
Traffic reduction, street space allocation and routeing
Quieter, smoother and safer driving
Better streetworks and street maintenance
Noise-reducing road surfaces
Tree planting, noise barriers, landform and highway structures
Spatial planning and urban design
Building insulation
Neighbourhoods, town centres, public spaces, walking and cycling.
Quieter vehicles
4A.8 The noise emitted by individual new road vehicles, as measured in the
standard ‘drive by’ test, has become much lower over recent decades, as
indicated in Table 3. Although these levels have fallen substantially, real
world traffic noise levels do not appear to have fallen. This does not
appear to be solely due to traffic growth. It is now generally accepted that
the test is less representative of modern congested urban conditions. 5
Congestion has increased, with more accelerations and decelerations.
Interaction between tyres and the road surface is now a key area for
reducing noise from road vehicles above all but the lowest speeds. There
is relatively little to be gained from exhaust silencing or other engine
noise related measures in many free-flowing traffic conditions.