V. CONCLUSIONS
This research has shown that there is a need among State Departments of Transportation for a formal noise abatement decision policy concerning special land uses such as churches, parks and schools. This policy needs to include a formal process to evaluate if abatement is reasonable and feasible. This research has established a method to determine if abatement is reasonable and/or feasible for special land uses. The methodology was derived based on:
- an extensive survey that included responses from 35 states
- telephone interviews
- personal contacts
- existing State and Federal policies
- guidance by FDOT
- the expertise of the authors
This resulted in a phase I methodology that underwent a thorough review by the Florida Department of Transportation Noise Task Team. Based on these comments, a final procedure was developed that includes a flow chart to determine feasibility and a matrix to determine reasonableness. The final report defines this process and provides several examples.
