New Seward Highway Rabbit Creek Road to 36th Avenue Environmental Assessment Volume II, Appendixes Project Number: FRAF-CA-MGS-NH-0A3-1(27)/52503 U.S. Department of Transportation, Alaska Division of the Federal Highway Administration, and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities July 2006 APPENDIX E Noise Analysis ANC/TP5047.DOC/050810013 New Seward Highway Rabbit Creek to 36th Avenue Project No. FRAF-CA-MGS-NH-0A3-1(27)/52503 Noise Analysis Prepared for Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities June 2006 301 West Northern Lights Boulevard, Suite 601 Anchorage, Alaska 99503-2662 (907) 278-2551 NOISE ANALYSIS, NEW SEWARD HIGHWAY RABBIT CREEK TO 36TH AVENUE ANC\053120001 Contents Section Page Abbreviations..................................................................................................................................vii Executive Summary.................................................................................................................... ES-1 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................1 1.1 Project Background and Purpose ................................................................................1 1.2 Study Purpose ................................................................................................................2 2 Fundamentals of Traffic Noise.............................................................................................9 3 FHWA and DOT&PF Criteria for Noise Abatement......................................................13 4 Methodology..........................................................................................................................15 5 Existing Noise Environment ...............................................................................................17 5.1 Setting............................................................................................................................17 5.2 Existing Land Use........................................................................................................17 5.3 Measured Traffic Noise Levels ..................................................................................18 5.4 Existing Noise Levels for Peak-Hour Traffic ...........................................................32 6 Future Noise Impacts............................................................................................................39 6.1 Traffic Noise Impacts ..................................................................................................39 7 Mitigation...............................................................................................................................47 7.1 Traffic Noise Mitigation..............................................................................................47 7.2 Noise Barrier Analysis ................................................................................................48 8 Construction Noise ...............................................................................................................69 9 Conclusions............................................................................................................................71 10 List of Preparers.....................................................................................................................73 11 References...............................................................................................................................75 Attachments A Acoustical Terminology B Alternative Descriptions C Onsite Noise Level Measurement Data D Traffic Data Summary E Noise Abatement Checklists NOISE ANALYSIS, NEW SEWARD HIGHWAY RABBIT CREEK TO 36TH AVENUE III ANC\053120001 CONTENTS, CONTINUED Table Page 1 Measurements of Typical Noise Levels................................................................................10 2 Federal Highway Administration Noise Abatement Criteria Adjusted for DOT&PF Noise Abatement Policy .........................................................................................................13 3 Summary of Measured Traffic Noise Levels (June 11-14, 2003) .......................................29 4 Comparison of Measured and Predicted Traffic Noise Levels .........................................31 5 Applied Reduction Factors.....................................................................................................31 6 Summary of Modeled Existing Noise Levels and Impact Assessment ...........................32 7 Comparison of Future Noise Impacts...................................................................................40 8 Barrier B1 Design.....................................................................................................................58 9 Barrier B1 Noise Reduction....................................................................................................58 10 Barrier B2 Design.....................................................................................................................60 11 Barrier B2 Noise Reduction....................................................................................................60 12 Barrier B6 Design.....................................................................................................................62 13 Barrier B6 Noise Reduction – Alternative 1, Option 1........................................................62 14 Barrier B6 Noise Reduction – Alternative 1, Option 2........................................................62 15 Barrier B6 Noise Reduction – Alternative 2, Option 1........................................................63 16 Barrier B6 Noise Reduction – Alternative 2, Option 2........................................................63 17 Barrier B7-8 Noise Reduction—Alternative 1, Option 1 ....................................................64 18 Barrier B7-8 Noise Reduction—Alternative 1, Option 2 ....................................................64 19 Barrier B7-8 Noise Reduction—Alternative 2, Option 1 ....................................................65 20 Barrier B7-8 Noise Reduction—Alternative 2, Option 2 ....................................................65 21 Barrier B7-8 Noise Reduction—Alternative 2, Option 1 ....................................................66 22 Barrier B9 Noise Reduction—Alternative 1, Option 1........................................................66 23 Barrier B9 Noise Reduction—Alternative 1, Option 2........................................................66 24 Barrier B9 Noise Reduction—Alternative 2, Option 1........................................................67 25 Barrier B9 Noise Reduction—Alternative 2, Option 2........................................................67 26 Barrier B10 Noise Reduction—Alternative 1, Option 1......................................................68 27 Construction Equipment Noise .............................................................................................69 Figure Page 1 Study Area..................................................................................................................................3 2a Existing Corridor.......................................................................................................................5 2b Existing Corridor.......................................................................................................................7 3 Zoning Districts and Subareas in Study Area .....................................................................19 4 Noise Receptor Locations .......................................................................................................21 5 Noise Receptor Locations .......................................................................................................23 6 Noise Receptor Locations .......................................................................................................25 7 Noise Receptor Locations .......................................................................................................27 8 Noise Receptor and Proposed Noise Barrier Locations .....................................................49 9 Noise Receptor and Proposed Noise Barrier Locations .....................................................51 10 Noise Receptor and Proposed Noise Barrier Locations .....................................................53 11 Noise Receptor and Proposed Noise Barrier Locations .....................................................55 IV NOISE ANALYSIS, NEW SEWARD HIGHWAY RABBIT CREEK TO 36TH AVENUE ANC\053120001 Abbreviations ANSI American National Standards Institute CFR Code of Federal Regulations dB decibel dBA A-weighted decibel DD doubled distance DOT&PF Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities °F degrees Fahrenheit FHWA Federal Highway Administration Hz Hertz kHz kilohertz Ldn day-night noise level Leq equivalent steady-state noise level, which in a stated period of time would contain the same acoustical energy as the time-varying noise level during the same period Leq(h) energy-average of the A-weighted noise levels occurring during a 1-hour period LRTP Long Range Transportation Plan μPa micropascal MOA Municipality of Anchorage NAC noise abatement criteria (or criterion) PER Preliminary Engineering Report PLI public lands and institutions TNM Traffic Noise Model NOISE ANALYSIS, NEW SEWARD HIGHWAY RABBIT CREEK TO 36TH