What types of sound-barriers are being suggested?
I have seen the concrete fence type and the earth-berm type.

How effective are such sound barriers? Will someone provide numbers indicating how much each type of barrier attenuates the sound?

I have noticed while riding my bicycle along 91 street just south of 34 avenue on the top of the sound berm and just below it on the residential side, that sound directly across the barrier is attenuated significantly. However, I still hear loud road noise from north or south of that point. And 91 street has a much lower speed limit than the Anthony Henday.

My observation in this case is that the barriers really are not that effective.

It would be good to have some measurements like this [note: I have not yet read the government studies]:

%3C-------- ROAD WAY --------%3E
[a] [b] [c]
======== location of SOUND BARRIER =============
[x]

For three points on the freeway side, perhaps each one being 200m-300m apart, measure the sound level at point [x] when there is a loud sound source at each of points [a], [b], and [c]. Ideally, it would be the same source and measurements would be taken at each of the three points (i.e. measure levels as a truck passes each of the three points).

I read with interest the noise study and report contracted by the government to a local engineering firm. I understand that the study and report was paid for by the government.

Though the study is purported to be independent and unbiased, and reportedly capable of predicting noise levels far into the future with precision and accuracy under all potential situations, I must wonder why the study was conducted in the summer when the ground was thawed and the grass and trees were growing, and why sound monitors were not located further away from the freeway on roads with a clear line of sight to the freeway.

In relatively obscure portions of the report's text, there is hardly any mention that sound attenuation is decreased by hard, frozen snow cover and frozen ground, yet the text is there - barely. In other words, sound will bounce more / ricochet off of ice and hard snow more than it will off of grass, leafed trees, and thawed ground. In other words, the sound problem is often worse in the winter, and though I have not yet purchased a decibel meter, I could attest to there being louder noise levels in the winter from where I stand, simply from using my analog ears. And the noise in the summer is far too loud already.

I also wonder why / how the report can simplistically draw neat iso-decibel bars with only a very limited number of decibel meters, given how some houses will block noise and others do not, and how some streets offer a clear line of sight to the freeway yet reportedly have the same noise levels as those that do not.

So, why is a study not planned for winter, at about 7 AM when the traffic's bad, when the snow is hard and the ground is frozen?

Can a thorough report, billed as capable of predicting noise levels far into the future with precision and accuracy under all potential situations, not consider that sound levels under some winter conditions are louder than during the summer?

Can a thorough report, billed as capable of predicting noise levels far into the future with precision and accuracy under all potential situations, not consider that sound bounces off asphalt pavement differently than it travels through / around houses?

Why were more sound meters not used, at greater distances from the freeway, on streets with a clear line of sight to the freeway?

Why not have an independent study conducted to review the one paid for by the government?

From eyeballing the study graphs, it seems quite obvious that, when the unweighted peaks are considered, noise levels far exceed 65 dB - even in the summer.

I would suggest that the author of the above noted engineering study be invited to the community meeting to answer for his report.

I was excited to have received you flier yesterday and you can be guaranteed that we will be at the meeting. I too, have called the Minister of Transportation and was told much the same as you. (must be a script) We no longer do anything outside as the noise from the Henday is unbelievable. We can't even speak to each other in normal tones. Everything is a holler. We recently installed triple paned windows at a significant cost to no avail. We can not leave our windows open at all as it disrupts our sleep. This is especially difficult on my husband as he is a shift worker. The noise is so loud, it comes through the bathroom vents. It's like having a constant humming in your head. Even our cat which only goes outside when one of us does, refuses to go out because of the noise. (weird for a cat, I know)

My husband and family moved to Blackburne Creek in 1995. When we purchased our home at no time was it disclosed to us that Anthony Henday would be placed in our "backyard" and that Hwy 2 as a result would be altered to it's current state.
The government should ensure that all plans on the books which will affect new neighbourhoods or existing neighbourhood structural plans are openly disclosed to prospective tenants.

Since the opening of Anthony Henday we are impacted terribly by both it and Hwy 2. For example, I can now hear the traffic with my windows closed. We spent $6000 to upgrade to triple pane glass and it has not helped. If my windows are open I cannot hear my children in their bedrooms if they are crying at night. I used to hear the airplanes at 6am taking off and now I cannot even hear the planes the traffic is so loud on Hwy 2. If the wind blows one direction we get Hwy 2 noise, if it blows the other we get Anthony Henday. My sleep has been disturbed and my quality of life!!I am also concerned about the health effects of all the emissions readily blowing into our neighbourhood rather than being diverted with barriers up into the sky.

Why is it other communities such as Red Deer are protected by Hwy noise with barriers and this same protection has not been given to Edmontonians. Why is it that Calgary's new ring road intersecting with Hwy 2 is nowhere near neighbourhoods such as Bearspaw, Blackburne, Southbrook and Royal Gardens. Is there another community in Alberta which has a bridge with cars and trucks flying by at the level of the homes??

It's too late to look at how it could have been done differently. Now it is time to come up with a solution for the affected neighbourhoods.

Thank you for taking the time to create this forum and this initiative.
My husband and I cannot come to the meeting on thursday because of our work schedules, but we so appreciate your work here, please keep us informed.
We understand the need for the efficient movement of traffic in our growing city.
We are, however, very dissappointed that such a high decibel level of noise was not accounted for.
When large semi-trucks and gravel trucks pass, they emit a pitch that penetrates even our closed triple-paned windows. That pitch is B natural and C natural according to my piano.
There is no longer peace in our backyard at anytime. The sound often wakes me in the early hours of the morning (2 - 3 am), and is constant coming through even the bathroom vent.
We were very disappointed to learn that the acceptable decible level was adjusted upward from the first sound study that was done; so measures to damp down the sound would not have to be employed.
We noticed a great difference in the noise in our car going from the Henday on the southside to the westend. It seemed that this is because the road in the west end did not have the grooves cut into it, as it has in the south.
We also noticed that in walking our dogs in the park out back, the noise was almost non-existent when we were walking significantly lower than the level of the highway. This led us to believe that a berm built at the side of the road would make a significant difference in how the sound carries.
Thank you again for creating this forum in which to air our thoughts.

Concerning cammar's comments about the noise study, why don't we just do this ourselves?

I was thinking about this earlier today as I walked from my home to the Millwoods mall. At my home I could hear the freeway fairly loudly, and while I could still hear it out by 23 avenue, it was much quieter, as I expected.

I sure do feel for those who live really close to it--I'm three blocks away from the edge of the TUC, and it is noisy enough.

I don't think it would actually cost a lot to do, if we don't pay ourselves for the time required. I am willing to work with others on designing and implementing such a study.

I was unable to attend the meeting tonight but wanted to express my anger toward the noise caused by the Anthony Henday. It has been over a year and I have not gotten used to the constant whine of wheels on that horrible freeway.
I cannot sit in my backyard, sleep at night, or enjoy a visit with my family due to the constant noise.
I cannot afford to move, it would cost me at least $100,000 due to depreciation of my house to move to anything similar in a quieter area.
My husband works shift work and has found it increasingly difficult to sleep during the day due to the noise.
I demand that something be done, noise berms or lowering the speed limit around the immediate area for starters.

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