The true cost of road traffic noise in Portugal

Abstract

This paper presents some results of the ongoing investigation concerning the economical evaluation of road traffic noise. As the majority of the European countries, Portugal has part of its 10 million citizens exposed to excessive noise levels, according to the WHO suggested values. Considering the relevance of this subject and the constant increase in road traffic volume, it was recognized the importance of an economical valuation of this excessive noise levels, referred to three cost categories: infrastructure (increase in the infrastructure cost due to the constructions of noise mitigation measures), noise externalities (connected to social, real estate and health noise related costs) and real estate income loss (allied to the inability for construction in available land for construction based on excessive noise and the consequent reduction of the patrimonial value). This paper illustrates some of the investigation results for specific municipalities regarded as representative of the municipalities' majority according to its territorial, economical and urban planning characteristics.