A Quantitative Comparison of Traffic Noise During, Before and Long Before the Pandemic Using A-Posteriori Heuristic Calibration
* Presenting author
Abstract:
One of the prominent effects of lockdown periods is the restrictions on human movement and activity and likely reduced noise levels. The aim of this study is to quantify the possible changes in noise in Vienna (Austria) in two lockdown periods (in March and December 2020) compared to normal conditions (recorded in 1980, 1981, 1983, 2011, and 2012) at two traffic stations (Freyung and Schottentor) and a walking area (Graben). In order to calibrate the data collected by three different microphones, an a-posteriori heuristic calibration was used. The results show that the noise level in lockdown II is lower than all periods at all stations (except in one traffic station in 1980). At both traffic stations, the noise level in 2011 is almost equal to and higher than that of lockdown I and the early 80's noise level, respectively.