New strategy to counter traffic noise 

Denmark is one of the first countries in Europe to have calculated the social costs of the effect of different means of reducing road noise. The analysis, carried out by COWI for the cross-ministerial Road Noise Group principalled by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, shows the extent to which various measures can reduce noise, the cost per year relative to the reduction achieved and the net socio-economic result.

Figures show that measures such as special noise-reducing pavements and facade insulation result in significant socio-economic benefits compared to reduced speed limits and the widespread installation of noise barriers, which have a negative socio-economic effect.

A solid basis

COWI has also calculated the socio-economic importance of various combinations of noise reduction measures, public sector financing requirements and overall noise reduction, giving the government a solid basis for determining how best to tackle the noise problem.

The recommendations of the government’s Road Noise Group, mandated to prepare a proposal for a strategy to limit noise from road traffic, is first and foremost aimed at municipalities, as about 85 per cent of residences exposed to noise nuisance are on municipal roads. State-owned roads account for about five per cent of noise nuisance, with county roads accounting for the remainder.

700,000 noise-plagued residences in Denmark
In Denmark, no fewer than 700,000 residences are plagued by noise levels in excess of 55 dB - the limit set by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency for private residences. Of these, about 150,000 are exposed to serious noise nuisance, i.e. noise levels in excess of 65 dB.

A reduction in noise nuisance has long been a goal, and the previous government had a plan dating from 1993 to reduce the number of residences exposed to serious noise nuisance to 50,000 by 2010. However, in the last decade Denmark has moved no closer to achieving this goal. Therefore one of COWI’s tasks was to determine the cost of realising this goal.

Long-term initiatives

"Reducing the serious noise level for 100,000 residences in the next six years will cost up to DKK 7 billion,” says COWI economist Mads Paabøl Jensen, “and would not be socio-economically cost-effective compared with alternative, longer-term initiatives spread over a longer period of time. However, if we set the year 2020 as a goal, which would allow sufficient time to implement measures such as replacing road surfacing as it becomes worn, instead of forcing the pace of replacement, we would achieve a much more cost-effective reduction of road noise."

Mads Paabøl Jensen is the man behind many socio-economic analyses, including transport and policy analyses and socio-economic prioritisation. He has a theoretical background in welfare and environmental economics, and statistical and practical experience in areas such as socio-economics, transport and environmental economics.

Who will pay?

A key question is: who will pay for it – government, county, municipality or private individuals? From a socio-economic perspective, the question of who pays is in principle irrelevant, but politically it is an important criterion. Thus, the use of public funds can be as important a factor as socio-economic considerations and the degree of noise reduction achieved.

By: Jette Kingod
Posted: 25.05.2004