Temporal Dynamics of Nighttime Noise, Vibration and Driver Adaptation to New Speed Humps in a Residential Street: A Case Study in Fujimino City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Managing vehicle speeds and ensuring road safety in residential neighborhoods have led to the widespread adoption of various traffic calming strategies, with speed humps being among the most implemented solutions. However, their implementation has raised significant concerns regarding secondary environmental impacts, particularly noise and vibration generation that can adversely affect residential communities during sensitive nighttime hours. This study addresses a critical gap in understanding the temporal dynamics of noise and vibration pollution induced by speed humps during nighttime periods in Japanese residential neighborhoods. Statistical analysis of LAeq measurements revealed significant temporal patterns: immediate increase (+2.71 dB, p < 0.001), peak at 4 weeks (+4.38 dB, p < 0.001), followed by beneficial adaptation (−2.88 dB below baseline, p < 0.001). Estimation method provided in ISO 9613-2 propagation modeling used to evaluate the compliance with Japan’s Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for Noise. Collectively, these findings underscore the critical need for both event-based adaptation analyses and standard propagation models in evaluating the efficacy and temporal evolution of noise induced by the traffic calming devices.