Noise shielding in an agent-based transport model using volunteered geographic data

This paper describes an improved noise modeling approach for the agent-based transport simulation MATSim. In contrast to previous versions, the new implementation takes into account the shielding of noise at building facades. The simplified approach is based on German noise modeling guidelines. As a proof of concept, a comparative calculation of noise immissions for a use case in the city of Munich with and without the consideration of buildings reveals more realistic immission values when shielding is taken into account. While uncovered areas are not affected by the updated calculation, backyards and areas behind larger building blocks show a major reduction in immissions. When looking at noise exposure costs in a dense area, ignoring the effect of shielding seems to significantly overestimate costs by up to 20%. The presented approach is a step forwards incorporating environmental aspects in an agent-based integrated land use/transport modeling suite.