Railroad Noise Impact on Residential Land Planning

A method of test for residential land use in the vicinity of a railroad using on-site noise level measurements is described. This was applied in the Columbus, Ohio area to optimize residential land utilization in the vicinity of a cross-country railroad. Acceptability criteria are those expressed in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD) Circular 1390.2 and a criterion developed for this special case. Measurement variables include the peak A-weighted sound pressure level (dBA), the energy equivalent sound level (Leq), the day-night average sound level (Ldn), train passage frequency and distance from the railroad's right-of-way centerline. Peak A-level observations made with a hand-held sound level meter are compared with a 24-h community noise meter's peak and Leq observations. A continuous 24-h strip chart technique was developed to validate digital data.