Abstract

Traffic noise pollution is a huge issue throughout the world, especially in urban areas. Traffic noise pollution can cause serious health issues including headaches, nausea, irritability and insomnia. It can also cause a lower percentage of intellectual development in children’s brains after long-term exposure when compared to a quiet environment. Solutions to this problem have been implemented in the past and many options have been proposed. However, the social aspect of the solutions is also important. These social indicators are often qualitative and thus difficult to measure. This paper presents the application of Fuzzy Logic, to evaluate the social acceptance of different noise reduction strategies in the region of Western New York (WNY). A questionnaire was utilized to collect data for the region. The created fuzzy model was verified using the questionnaire filled out by residents of WNY. The results gained from the developed fuzzy model showed that the highest level of social acceptance is for Planting Trees at 61.30% and the lowest level of social acceptance is for Traffic/Transportation Restrictions at 22.10%.