By Working Group Noise a statement on vehicle noise is drafted in reaction to the proposal of the European Commission. The proposal of the European Commission, based on the VENOLIVA report of TNO, contains a first two steps towards quieter vehicles. However, the proposed reductions are a bit poor 2+2 dB for passenger cars and 1+2 dB for lorries. By Working Group Noise the proposal is embraced but she also proposes to make more steps. A third and a fourth step is needed and also further research is needed. The best way to reduce noise in urban areas can be realised by means of source measures in combination with local measures. It should be mentioned that source measures are the most effective and efficient measures. For more information you may contact Mr. Jan-Harko Post or Mr. Henk Wolfert.

Last week, Working Group Noise has finalised his statement on the Environmental Noise Directive (END 2002/49/EC). This statement is mainly based on the Position Paper on the END, that was published last year, see other messages on the weblog. Important part of the statement is our plea for more stricter source policies. Measures at source are the most effective and efficient and will lower the noise overall. Local measures, especially in urban areas are not sufficient. Quiet road surfaces, traffic management, etc. will only result in a limited noise reduction. Knowing that European cities are suffering from noise levels above 70 and even 75 dB Lden, noise reductions of more than 10-15 dB should be needed. This only can be realised by a combination of source measures and local measures. For more information, please contact the chair of Working Group Noise Mr. Henk Wolfert.

On 19 August a brief meeting of Working Group Noise EUROCITIES will be held in the Mariott hotel in New York.
A draft agenda will be published soon. Beside members of Working Group Noise we invite also representatives from other cities worldwide to join us.

On 19 and 20 April Working Group Noise EUROCITIES has held  his spring meeting in Amsterdam. Venue of the first day was the South Church, a beautiful location, in the city centre of Amsterdam. On the second day the venue was at the building of the cities’ district administration near the RAI. After welcome by the chair, Mr Henk Wolfert, a brief welcome was spoken by Ms Mildi Rouw, head of the Environment Department. She also gave some insight in the Amsterdam policies on noise and environment. After an introduction round and the approval of the draft agenda, Mr Steef Korfker, director of the Dutch Organisation for Electric Transport (DOET) presented his organisation. He presented the market model of DOET, bringing parties together and gave some interesting developments on electric transportation. He said that pure electric cars are currently only usable in urban areas due to their limited distances. Range extender should be necessary to bridge the larger distances. Future should be a combination of electric traction and hydrogen engines he thought. Mr Art van der Giessen told us about Amsterdam electric. It is for shure that Amsterdam is very ambitious in this sector. Amsterdam aims to have 10.000 electric vehicles in 2015. A lot of charging points are already in place and will be enlarged coming years. Free parking place is offered for electric cars and subidies are given for electric transportation to boost this development. At Schiphol a so called better place station is settled that can change the batteries quickly. Another better place will be settled soon in the Amsterdam city centre. After this presentation Mr Konijnendijk from the Public Transport Company RET Rotterdam presented the developments and measures going on in Rotterdam. Most of the transportation takes place by rail (80% of the passengers). Aim is to reduce the CO2 with 50% in 2025 (objective city of Rotterdam). The e-buses that are running in Rotterdam (4) are not only clean and energy friendly but also quiet. It is still a first step because it appeared that the e-buses are sensitive to maintenance yet. However, it still improves! They have limited reach of course but are used in the city which doesn’t give a problem with the batteries.  Besides trams, buses and subways RET operates also fast ferries which is a sustainable way of transport as well. RET has trained its drivers in eco-driving.In June the Ticket 2 Kyoto event will be held in Rotterdam. By NSG Mr Roelofsen a presentations was given on the electric heroes, a programnme to stimulate use of electric scooters among yougsters.

Test drive with electric scooter

During the midday Mr Boudewijn Kortbeek from the Dutch ministry of Infrastructure and Environment presented the revision of the Vehicle Directive. He asked special attention for the vans, their number is increasing and they are very noisy! They contribute around 50% of the noise in urban areas he said. Regarding the EC propodal he thought that a lot of resitance and reluctant could be met from the European Parliament and the European Council. Therefore he called upon EUROCITIES’members to contact their EP-ers and ministers to persuade them to choose for stricter emission limits and at least a third step. A new test method is developed which is nearing real driving conditions in cities (99%). The last part of the afternoon was filled by a EPOMM session which aimed to share knowledge about best practices on sustainable transport in cities. This was introduced by Mr Rinus Huybregts (DCMR EPA) who elucidated the transport management program in the Rotterdam Metropolitan Area. Aim of that program is to reduce mileage of transport of enterprises. The pilot gained more than 10% reduction of mileage, CO2 and NOx. The second introduction was given by the GVB Amsterdam (Public Transport Company). Buses with hydrogen cells combined with e-engines were showed in a PowerPoint presentation. According to GVB this should be the most suitable solution for public transport. Buses only produce a noise level of 72 dB. During the first day the EUROCITIES statement on the Environmental Noise Directive was discussed as well. This statement will be send to the European Parliament soon after approval of the EUROCITIES ExCom.

The second day was held near the RAI. After a few formalities of the agenda the draft statement on the Vehicle Directive was discussed. The content was approved bur the structure could be improved and this will be done soon. After this it will be sent to the rapporteur Mr. Ouzky. By Mr Erik Salomons a brief presentation  was done about QuietFaçades, a project under LIFE+ that is running currently. It seemed that people living in a house with a quiet façade are less anoyed. Another presentation about PIEK-KEUR was done by Mr Remco extra, director at the RAI.

During the afternoon we visited the RAI. At the premises of the RAI a lot of sustainable tracks were demonstrated. These trucks are not only advantegeous for  air quality and energy efficiency but also for noise. Some of these trucks (LNG traction) produces only 72 dB(A) at 7,5m distance. Other trucks fully electrical produces even less.

The Vehicle Noise directive ( 70/157/EEC ) is currently in revision. This directive comprises Emission Limit Values (ELV’s) that should be respected before bringing new vehicles on the European market. By the European Commission a proposal has been published to strengthen these ELV in two stages. The European Commission proposed to reduce the noise produced by cars, vans, buses, coaches, light and heavy trucks. Noise limit values would be lowered in two steps of each 2 dB for passenger cars, vans, buses and coaches. For trucks the reduction would be 1 dB in the first step and 2 dB in the second step. The first step is to apply two years after the publication of the text once approved by the EP and Member States and the second step is foreseen three years thereafter. Altogether, these measures will reduce vehicle noise nuisance by some 25%, referring to the current situation. In addition, the Commission intends to introduce a new and more reliable test method to measure sound emissions. Moreover it is proposed that electric and hybrid electric vehicles can be fitted optionally with sound generating devices which would make these cars safer. Noise emissions limits have not changed since 1996 despite increasing traffic. The proposed strenghtening is scrutinised by the working group noise and she drafted a statement towards European Commission, European parliament, European Council and all advisory boards involved in this recast.

Working Group Noise embraces these steps, after many years of stand still, now steps are being made to lower the noise from sources! That’s the most effective and cost-efficient manner to reduce noise in Member States.  Traffic noise however, is the most dominant source and affects many people in EU27 according to the first results of the first round of Noise Mapping.

However, more steps are needed and more reseach on noise reduction of vehicles is needed. Currently, noise reduction around 4-6 dB should be applicable according to the technology available yet. Further reductions can be found after a thouroughly investigation to new concepts of making cars or combining car parts, see the so called CAETS letter that was sent last year to the Director General of the DG Enterprise and Industry.  Working Group Noise thinks that besdides a periodical review and strenghtening of the limit values (at leat two more steps are needed), inspection should be done during the mandatory test of older cars (MOT) and by inspection and enforcement of cars that are on the road. A lot of cars, motorised two en three wheleers, etc. are provided with illegal parts and/or are not well maintained and cannot comply anymore with the EU legislation. Working Group Noise is also doubting about the neccessity of additional noise for electric and hybrid cars, as proposed by UNECE. According to the TRL report of 2011, hardly more accidents occurs between e-cars and pedestricans or bikers.

By a number of experts a letter is drafted and sent to the European Commision recently regarding this recast asking for more attention for vehicle nosie and the detrimental effects of long lasting vehidle noise (health effects, sometimes irreversible). Working Group Noise calls upon everybody to support this letter by sending a letter of support to the European Parliament and her rapporteur Mr. Ouzky. On the 11th of April a hearing will be held in the European Parliament regarding this directive. EUROCITIES’ noise working group will attend this hearing, present her position and plea for more progress in the future. For more information or obtaining the letter from the experts or the statement of EUROCITIES, please contact the chair of Working Group Noise, Mr Henk Wolfert (henk.wolfert@dcmr.nl)

On 19 and 20 April the spring meeting of Working Group Noise will be held in Amsterdam. Venue is the Southern church (Zuiderkerk). Theme is electric and hybrid vehicles and noise.  The most important agenda points for the first day are:

• welcome on behalf of Amsterdam and an overview of the Amsterdam environmental policy and actions by Mr Frank Meelker, director
• presentation about the electric vehicles programme in Amsterdam
• electric heroes presented by Mr Erik Roelofsen, director of NSG (Dutch Noise Association)
• experiences in other European cities with electric vehicles (Rotterdam, Paris, etc.)
• knowledge transfer session on sustainable mobility within the frame work of EPOMM, moderated by EUROCITIES.

The second day will be held at the RAI and we will be hosted by them. Those days an exhibition of company cars is held in the RAI and a lot of sustainable and quiet cars and lorry manufacturers are present at that exhibition. We will start the day with all kind of developments and actions to fulfil on European dossiers such as:

• progress on the review of the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC by the chair of Working Group Noise, Mr Henk Wolfert
• progress on the so called Harmonised Assessment Method (CNOSSOS) as meant in the Environmental Noise Directive.
• progress on the recast of the Vehicle Directive by Mr Boudewijn Kortbeek of the Dutch Ministry of Environment and Infrastructure.
• explanation on the Horizon2020 programma by Mr. Jan-Harko Post, city of The Hague.
• round table regarding progress on noise mapping second round, problems encountered, etc and project running in EUROCITIES cities with and without involvement of Working Group Noise by all members.
• outlook on summer meeting of Working Group Noise in New York during INTERNOISE2012 by Mr Henk Wolfert
• outlook autumn meeting Working Group Noise in Paris by Mr Piotr Gaudibert and Mr Patrick Duguet

After this part, the RAI linked activities will start:

• welcome on behalf of the RAI by Mr Remco Texstra
• presentation on the PIEK KEUR approach by Mr Remco Texstra
• presentation on quiet and sustainable vehicles by Mr Rovert Goevaers
• visit the booths of the quiet and sustainable vehicles in the RAI
• demonstration quiet and sustainable vehicles (PM)

More information van be obtained by contacting the chair of Working Group Noise, Mr Henk Wolfert

By Working Group Noise a brief response is drafted towards the European Commision. This response comprises 12 recommendations which are in line with previous documents like EUROCITIES Position Paper on the END and will be sent to the European Commission, the advisory institutions (COR, EESC, etc.) and to the Members of Parliament as far as they are involved in this dossier.  After approval by the chairman of the EUROCITIES Environmental Forum (EEF) and the ExCom the response will be sent to all parties and a brief summary will be published on this weblog.

On 24 January 2012 a symposium on Urban Noise Management will be held inFlorence. Tis symposium is built around the EU funded projects HUSH, NADIA and QUADMAP. The first two are supported by Working Group Noise by delivering input. The last one QUADMAP, is a project on Management of Quiet Urban Areas and a lot of members of WG Noise are involved. They will have a podium in Florence as well. Registration for this symposium can be means of sending an email to gessica.pecchioni@comune.it

The spring meeting of Working Group Noise EUROCITIES will be hosted by the city of Amsterdam on the 19th and 20th of April. Theme for this meeting will be “Electrication of transport”. The meeting will be structured in four parts,

1. Formalities, like approval of the agenda, welcome, minutes, action list, etc.
2. Sharing of knowledge and experiences by means of the theme mentioned above.
3. European agenda, like the Environmental Noise Directive, CNOSSOS, Vehicle directive and Horizon 2020 and opportunities for noise.
4. Round table, sharing information and experiences from cities and projects.

Each member and agenda member is invited to send in suggestions for the four parts of the meeting. More information, like the venue and the draft agenda will be published on this site in January 2012.

The European Commission has published a draft regulation regarding stricter noise levels (ELV’s) for passenger cars, vans, buses and trucks. Existing emission limit values are proposed to go down in two stages.
As announced in an earlier meeting in spring, ELV’s for cars, vans and buses will first drop by 2 decibels two years after entry into force, expected in 2013/14, and by another 2 dB three years later. Those for trucks by 1 dB respectively 2 dB. The existing ELV’s from the directive 70/157, amended in 2007, are higher than those used to calculate the new values because of a new, more precise, noise measurement method applied by the commission. As a result, existing limits were revised down by about 2 dB, except for lorries whose limit went up by 1 dB to 81 dB(A). The proposal means that ELV’s for cars, set at 74 dB(A) in the 2007, will drop from 72 to 70 dB(A) in stage 1 of the new proposed legislation and drop to 68 dB(A) in the second stage. The limit for trucks are supposed to drop to 80 dB(A) first and to 78 dB(A) during later. The new method introduced in ECs proposal nears driving conditions more closely. Other proposals in the draft regulation mentions the introduction of additional sound emission provisions and noise features for hybrid and electric vehicles to increase pedestrian safety. Working Group Noise EUROCITIES is convinced that these steps are not enough. Regarding reports and letters (CAETS, 2011) it is possible to reduce more, even with existing technology. Working Group Noise proposal to the European Commission would be to introduce stricter ELV’s (up to 5-6 dB) for the two stages and to introduce more steps beyond stage 2 of Commissions’ proposal. The Commissions’proposal could be found here: