Attitudes of Jordanian Population towards Road Traffic Noise

Traffic noise concern has recently emerged as an issue affecting urban population of Jordan. A study of road traffic noise along urban arterials of Amman, the capital of Jordan was carried out to examine the magnitude of traffic noise and evaluate its effect on residents and their activities. The study involved two steps: 18-hours noise measurements at seven selected sites in Amman, and an attitudinal survey using questionnaires and involving a sample of 300 people. This paper presents the results of analyses of the noise measurements and completed questionnaires. It was found that the measured traffic noise levels exceed the maximum allowable limits at all survey sites. Traffic noise was also perceived by neighboring residents as a problem that is disruptive to their lifestyles to the extent that over half of the interviewed people consider transferring to a quieter environment.