FDOT’s Traffic Noise Policy follows federal regulations established by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and applies to Type I projects—which are roadway improvements that could increase traffic noise. Examples of these projects include widening highways by adding through lanes, building new roadways or interchanges, or significantly changing the road’s horizontal or vertical alignment.

If your property is near a project classified as a Type I project and is considered noise sensitive (such as a residence, school, or park), it will be evaluated as part of the noise study. The study will determine if traffic noise impacts will occur, and if noise abatement (noise barrier walls) is warranted, feasible, and cost reasonable under federal and state criteria.

Noise sensitive locations include homes, schools, parks, churches, hospitals, and other places where frequent exterior human activity occurs. There are seven Noise Abatement Criteria (NAC), and each has its own traffic noise impact level for which impacts are set. If a property falls within any of these categories and is close to the project corridor, it will be evaluated as a “receptor” in the Traffic Noise Model (TNM) to determine potential noise impacts.

Unfortunately, noise barrier walls are only considered if a receptor meets all federal and state criteria (predicted noise levels approach, meet, or exceed the NAC) and the noise barrier wall is determined to be feasible and reasonable. FDOT cannot add a noise barrier wall outside of this process or as a result of petitions or individual requests.

Any noise barrier wall that meets all criteria are presented to the public, and the viewpoint of affected property owners and residences is solicited to confirm community support of the proposed noise barrier wall.

A noise study is federally required for any Type 1 project. The goal is to determine if traffic noise impacts will occur and whether noise abatement (such as a noise barrier wall) is feasible and reasonable for nearby noise sensitive areas like residential communities.

FDOT is required to follow a federal process that uses a state of the art computer model, the Traffic Noise Model (TNM), which incorporates roadway design, traffic volumes and speeds, terrain, and other site-specific data to predict future traffic noise levels based on the proposed roadway improvements. Maximum peak hourly traffic, representing the noisiest conditions, is used in the modeling.

FDOT considers noise abatement in the form of a noise barrier wall when traffic noise impacts are identified during a traffic noise study. If traffic noise impacts are found, a noise barrier analysis is performed to determine if a noise barrier wall is feasible and reasonable.

Feasible — feasibility factors involve acoustic (noise reduction) and engineering considerations. The barrier must provide a noise reduction of at least 5 dB(A) to two or more receptors, and the wall can be built using standard construction methods and techniques.

Reasonable — reasonableness factors include the consideration of the viewpoints of benefited property owners, cost-effectiveness, and achieving the FDOT noise reduction design goal (at least one receptor receiving at least 7 dB(A) of benefit).

If a noise barrier wall meets these criteria, it is presented to affected property owners and residences. If a majority support construction of the noise barrier wall, it is included with the roadway project.

Our traffic noise studies follow a federally required procedure that requires the use of a computer model, the Traffic Noise Model (TNM), to generate the future traffic noise levels with the proposed roadway improvements in place. Using this method allows for planning, budgeting, and design of any noise barrier walls, which are included with the design of roadway improvements and built during the construction of the roadway improvements.

The findings of the noise study, including maps showing proposed noise barrier wall locations, will be presented at the Public Hearing.

All materials will also be posted online 21 days prior to the hearing at www.swflinterstates.com.

Yes. Public input is an important part of the Planning, Development & Environment (PD&E) process. FDOT accepts comments during the Public Hearing and the 10 day comment period following the hearing. Comments may be submitted in writing at the hearing, by email, mailed letter, comment form, or via the project website. All comments received during the hearing and the 10-day comment period are documented in the Public Hearing Transcript and the Final Environmental Document.

Additionally, if a noise barrier wall meets technical criteria for feasibility and reasonableness, FDOT will seek further input from property owners during the design phase to determine community support for any proposed noise barrier walls.

FDOT and FHWA do not currently recognize pavement type as a long-term noise mitigation strategy. Surface conditions can change over time due to wear, resurfacing, and weather, which makes it unreliable for traffic noise abatement. For these reasons, FDOT does not use alternative pavements for traffic noise reduction.

No. Noise barrier walls are not designed or constructed to act as a safety barrier; they are intended solely for reduction of traffic noise levels. Safety is evaluated throughout our studies as part of the roadway improvements.

Safety elements such as guardrails or concrete barriers are evaluated separately in the roadway design process.

A benefited receptor is a home or noise sensitive site that receives a predicted noise reduction of at least 5 decibels (dB) from a proposed barrier. The number of benefited receptors is used in calculating whether a noise barrier wall is considered reasonable to construct under federal and state cost-effectiveness guidelines.

Yes. If a noise barrier wall is proposed and meets all criteria, FDOT will coordinate with property owners and homeowner associations during the design phase to confirm support for or against a noise barrier wall as well as gather information regarding aesthetics, access, and preferences.