Health Impacts of Electric Railway Noise

Transportation Noise and Blood Pressure in a Population-Based Sample of Adults (6 page pdf, Julia Dratva, Harish C. Phuleria, Maria Foraster, Jean-Michel Gaspoz, Dirk Keidel, Nino Künzli, L.-J. Sally Liu, Marco Pons, Elisabeth Zemp, Margaret W. Gerbase, Christian Schindler, Environ Health Perspect, Jan. 2012) Today, the focus is on a study of the impacts of [...]

Road Noise from Motor Vehicles in Europe

Proposal for a Regulation on the Sound Level of Motor Vehicles (12 gage pdf, Commission Staff Working Paper- Executive Summary of the Impact Assessment, Dec. 9, 2011) The focus today is on a new proposal to reduce by 25% the vehicle noise which impacts the health of almost 21 million citizens of European cities. Past [...]

Health Impacts from Road Traffic and Railway Noise

Exposure to road traffic and railway noise and associations with blood pressure and self-reported hypertension: a cohort study ( 11 page pdf, Mette Sørensen, Martin Hvidberg, Barbara Hoffmann, Zorana J Andersen, Rikke B Nordsborg, Kenneth G Lillelund, Jørgen Jakobsen, Anne Tjønneland, Kim Overvad and Ole Raaschou-Nielsen,Environmental Health, Oct. 28, 2011) Today we review some research [...]

Traffic Noise Impacts on the Health of Seniors

Road traffic noise and stroke: a prospective cohort study (8 page pdf, European Heart Journal, Jan. 25, 2011) Also discussed here: Traffic noise boosts risk of stroke, study finds (Wheels, Jan. 27, 2011) Today’s research article examines the link between traffic noise and strokes. After taking out the impact from air pollution, 8% of all [...]

Noise from Wind Turbines and Health Impacts

Image via Wikipedia Health effects of turbines? We already know (Brantford Expositor, Jan. 13, 2011) Today’s review article focuses on health impacts on people exposed to sound from wind turbines, citing regulations in Ontario, Canada and potential impacts from other countries with wind farm experience and calls for bylaws to limit the use of wind [...]

Back-up Beepers and Noise Pollution

Image via Wikipedia   Vehicle Motion Alarms: Necessity, Noise Pollution, or Both? (4 page pdf, Environ Health Perspect 119, Jan. 1, 2011) Today’s article looks at the latest health threat from beepers which were supposed to provide a safety warning to those who may be struck by a truck backing up. Poor design and even [...]

Making Sense of Urban Complaints from 311 Calls

What a Hundred Million Calls to 311 Reveal About New York (Wired, Nov.1, 2010) Also discussed here: The Future of Sustainable Urban Mobility: Switch to IT Networks (The City Fix, Dec. 9, 2010) New York City, like many other large cities, has a special number (311) for its citizens to register complaints – at a [...]

Noise Pollution Law in Europe

European Court tackles unacceptable traffic noise pollution (Strasbourg Observers, Dec. 1, 2010) Also discussed here: Night noise guidelines for Europe (162 page pdf, World Health Org., 2009) A recent ruling by the European Court found that the state had not done enough to provide a citizen’s “right to respect for his private life and home”. [...]

Noise as a Sustainable Energy Source for Buildings

Urban Transducer Skyscraper gets powered by noise (EcoFriend, July 19, 2010) Also discussed here: The Urban Transducer Skyscraper Produces Energy from Noise Pollution (Evolo, Apr. 14, 201) Today’s review article describes a building that works in the opposite direction to most in the urban core by capturing energy from noise, instead of using energy for [...]

Noise at Night

Night Noise Guidelines For Europe (184 page pdf, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2009) The report published by the Regional Office of the World Health Organization Office has made an extensive review of experience with night time noise: who is affected by it at what levels, concluding with recommended guidelines for maximum noise levels. The [...]

Managing Urban Noise

Image via Wikipedia Trying to Dial Down the Volume (New York Times – Green Column, August 15, 2010) Also discussed here: Proposal for assessing the effectiveness of noise policies (Abstract, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 127, Issue 3, pp. 1841-1841, March 2010) And here: A strategic approach on environmental noise management in developing countries (8 [...]

Health Effects of Noise

Image via Wikipedia Noise Effects Handbook (EPA, 1981) Also discussed here: Noise Exposure and Public Health (9 page pdf, Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol 108,  March 2000) And here: Environmental Noise Control Guidelines (102 page pdf, City of Ottawa, 2006) The handbook reviewed today describes a wide number of impacts of noise pollution ranging from cardiovascular [...]

Exposure of Population to Air Pollution Near Major Roads in Europe

Image via Wikipedia Development of a methodology to assess population exposed to high levels of noise and air pollution close to major transport infrastructure (131 page pdf, European Commission-Entec UK Ltd, April 2006) This key report from the European Commission examined various methods for estimating population exposure to air and noise pollution near roads, airports [...]

Free Public Transit

17 Reasons (or More) to Stop Charging People to Ride the Bus (The Tyee, July 5, 2007) Also discussed here: Campaign for free public transport leaflet (Wiganshale’s blog, Jan. 23, 2010) Why do we expect public education, fire and police services to be “free” (or more accurately, paid for out of the public purse), but [...]

What Does a Car Really Cost?

How much is that car really costing? You? The rest of us? (World Streets, May 24, 2010) Also discussed here: Transportation Cost and Benefit Analysis Techniques, Estimates and Implications (500 page pdf in sections, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Jan.2,  2009) And here: Transportation Cost Analysis Spreadsheet (Excel spreadsheet, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Jan.2, 2009) And [...]

New Urban Transportation Fund for UK

Supporting Cities: A Discussion Paper On Plans For An Urban Challenge Fund (6 page pdf, British Dept for Transport, Mar. 2, 2010) Key Quotes: “the impacts of transport on the urban economy, health and environment and estimated the measurable annual costs of these impacts in terms of: · congestion in excess delays (£12.0 billion) · [...]

Can Highway Barriers Contain Pollution from Traffic?

Tracer studies to characterize the effects of roadside noise barriers on near-road pollutant dispersion under varying atmospheric stability conditions (Atmospheric Environment, Volume 44, Issue 2, January 2010, Pages 204-214) Discussed here: Highway Barriers Stifle Sound, Sight, and Soot (Science Daily, Jan. 5, 2010) Also discussed here Highway Barriers Stifle Pollution (the earthy report, Jan. 8,2010) [...]

Mapping NOx with a Smart E-Bike

The Copenhagen Wheel is a very interesting development in the growth and popularity of electrically assisted bikes world-wide. For many countries with a rapidly aging population who may not have the stamina to use an ordinary bike for trips in cities, the e-bike provides an easy option – if a little expensive right now. In [...]

Top 3 Posts in 2009

Here are the three posts (with short excerpts) that were read by more visitors to this blog than any of the other 175 posts. Enjoy! Economic valuation of transport-related health effects Review – significant and comprehensive review from European point of view of the health impacts (both morbidity or illness and mortality) from transportation from [...]

Economic valuation of transport-related health effects Review

Economic valuation of transport-related health effects Review of methods and development of practical approaches, with a special focus on children (151 page pdf, WHO, 2008) – significant and comprehensive review from European point of view of the health impacts (both morbidity or illness and mortality) from transportation from road accidents, air pollution and noise with [...]

World Car Free Day- Sept 22

World Carfree Day 2009 Over 100,000 million people in more than 1500 cities worldwide  celebrate a move away from car culture Carfree Cities – proposes a delightful solution  to the vexing problem of urban automobiles. Car-Free Day Montreal: A Measurable Difference “Attracting in the upwards of 50,000 people in 2007, In Town, Without My Car! [...]

Parliament backs “polluter pays” principle for lorry charges

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/062-51411-068-03-11-910-20090310IPR51410-09-03-2009-2009-false/default_en.htm Eurovignette: Parliament backs “polluter pays” principle for lorry charges Source: www.europarl.europa.eu Transport (Press release) : Charges on heavy-goods vehicles should be based in part on the air and noise pollution they produce, according to legislation approved by the European Parliament today. Charging …

Real time Monitors in UK

Traffic pollution hotspots to be revealed ‘live’ in London (press release- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) A pioneering network of sensors could make the traffic build-ups that cause pollution hotspots a thing of the past. The Gateshead network consists of around 50 separate wireless sensors housed in small metal boxes attached to railings and lamp [...]