Evaluation of Road Traffic Noise and Noise-exposed Population Change due to Demand Responsive Transit Bus in Rural Area

Demand responsive transit (DRT) services, which are being introduced in rural areas because of the aging and continuous decline of the population, are anticipated to yield economic and environmental benefits through efficient bus operations. This study investigated the road traffic noise resulting from the altered routes of the DRT bus service that is in operation in Sangbuk-myeon, Yangsan-si. Before predicting the noise generated by the DRT bus service, the road traffic noise was measured and origin-destination data of the DRT buses in study area were collected. The road traffic noise was predicted along five bus routes and compared with the anticipated noise levels for conventional bus routes to analyze the areas and populations benefiting from noise reduction effects. Depending on the route setting of the bus, a noise reduction of up to 3.3 dB(A) was confirmed at the measurement point. Additionally, 4.6 % of Sangbuk-myeon residents experienced noise reduction effects in the range of 1 dB(A) ~ 3 dB(A). Based on these research results, it is expected that environmental quality and community welfare can be improved through the strategic planning and operation of DRT services in rural areas.