Road traffic noise geography during the night in Montreal: An environmental equity assessment

A high level of road traffic noise during the night can alter individuals' wellbeing. The first objective of this paper is to determine whether the groups that are most vulnerable to road traffic noise, namely children under 15 years old and people aged 65 and over, and the groups most likely to experience high levels of nuisance, namely visible minorities and low-income individuals, are affected by environmental inequities with regard to road traffic noise during the night. The second objective is to identify the sectors where the mean level of noise surpasses the 55 dB(A) tolerance threshold established by the World Health Organization. The methodology for estimating the level of nocturnal road traffic noise is based on a combination of elements of the road and urban environments. All of these parameters have been considered in calculating road traffic noise in the most densely inhabited portion of the Island of Montreal. The results of the statistical tests show that the groups selected on the basis of age are not affected by any environmental inequities. However, areas with more low-income individuals and visible minorities are more likely to be characterized by higher levels of road traffic noise when compared with the rest of the population.