# Assessment of Road Noise Pollution in Urban Residential Areas--A Case Study in Pitesti, Romania
###### Abstract
Compared to the results obtained at the first noise mapping, achieved 6 years earlier, the current results attest to a much greater exposure of the population to noise: the number of people exposed to environmental noise exceeding the limit value of L\({}_{\text{den}}\) (70 dB) increased by 16,600, and the number of people exposed to ambient noise exceeding the limit value of L\({}_{\text{n}}\) (60 dB) increased by 14,700, so with almost 10% of the city's population. Of the four possible sources of environmental noise-road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic and industrial activity, the only cause for exceeding limit values in Pitesti may be road traffic, as there is no industry in residential areas, the only railway line is far of residential areas and the airport does not exist [21]. Therefore, as the only source of noise that exceeds the limit levels set by European legislation [2; 26] is road traffic, the reduction of ambient noise can only be achieved by reducing road noise, both at the source (emitted noise) and at the receiver (mixed noise-perceived by the inhabitants). Regarding the noise emitted by a single vehicle, it is determined by the vehicle operation, its contact with the air [27] and the running path [27; 28], so that the emitted noise reduction is a concern both for car manufacturers, as well as for road builders. Vehicle flow noise is the result of aggregating the noise emitted by individual vehicles, so maintaining road noise within legal limits can also be achieved through proper traffic organization, to obtain values of traffic flow characteristics (volume, density, speed) for which road noise is minimized. This should be a concern of road traffic professionals-to propose solutions to traffic organization and regulation of local governments, that will help reduce urban noise pollution. The explanation that after noise mapping made in 2012, the proposed Action Plan has not improved the situation in terms of road traffic noise, but, instead, doubles the number of people exposed to noise above the limits set by European legislation, is presented in the latest report [25]. Thus, the cause is the non-fulfillment of some of the proposed actions:* have not been implemented measures to regulate in one-way road traffic for some of the specified proposed streets;
* no bicycle lanes have been built to promote this alternative mode of transport;
* a road belt was not made for the western part of the city;
* the road clothes for several of the specified streets were not rehabilitated;
* the Park & Ride system, which would have reduced private transport, was not promoted;
* not all measures have been taken to reorganize road traffic so that road traffic performance is improved (road network service level and road traffic safety) and compliance with European pollution rules is ensured. Analyzing the action plans that were proposed following the mapping of the environmental noise in Pitesti, it was found that they do not contain references to the road traffic regulation at the intersections as a possible determinant factor for the environmental noise. In addition, it is ignored that in the time interval between the two noise maps, the road traffic regulation in the city most complex road intersection, Podul Vilor, has been significantly changed: in 2015 the traffic light intersection Calea Bucuresti-Calea Bascovului was transformed into a roundabout intersection, and in 2016 was put into operation the road crossing over Calea Bucuresti, the road traffic completely changing throughout the area (Figure 1) [29]. Therefore, to identify how the regulation of road traffic in residential areas can determine the level of road noise emitted, the following research was performed.