The report gives an assessment of the degree of traffic nuisance in a small town at different levels of traffic flow, before and after the construction of a by-pass. Measurements of traffic characteristics and of public attitudes are given. A nuisance index ranging from 0 to 6 showed a median of 1.7 when trunk road traffic passed through the town. This dropped to 0.3 when the traffic changes due to the by-pass occurred. Such environmental ill-effects as there were, were virtually eliminated by the reduction in flows following the opening of the by-pass. The main disadvantage was considered by some respondents to be a drop in commercial activity in the town. The study is one of a series of case studies where changes in traffic flow have occurred, and from which more general conclusions will be published. (Author/publisher)
Abstract