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Traffic Noise in Georgia: Sound Levels and Inequality

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Using Lorenz-type curves, means tests, ordinary least squares, and locally weighted regressions (LWR), we examine the relative burdens of whites, blacks, and Hispanics in Georgia from road and air traffic noise. We find that whites bear less noise than either blacks or Hispanics and that blacks tend to experience more traffic noise than Hispanics. While every Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) showed that blacks experienced relatively more noise than average, such a result did not hold for Hispanics in roughly half of the MSAs. We find much heterogeneity across Census tracts using LWR. For most Census tracts, higher black and Hispanic population shares are associated with increased noise. However, 5.5 percent of the coefficients for blacks and 18.9 percent for Hispanics are negative, suggesting larger population shares are associated with less noise. The noise LWR marginal effects for black populations across most tracts in the state are consistent with diminishing marginal noise from additional black population, while those in Atlanta exhibit diminishing marginal noise for Hispanics. In many regions of the state where the potential for health-damaging noise exists, we find relatively high disproportionality in noise experienced by the black and Hispanic populations compared to the rest of the overall population. Our findings underscore the importance of using nonparametric estimation approaches to unveil spatial heterogeneity in applied urban and housing economics analyses.

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  • Jeffrey P. Cohen & Cletus C. Coughlin & Jonas C. Crews, 2018. "Traffic Noise in Georgia: Sound Levels and Inequality," Working Papers 2019-4, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedlwp:2019-004
    DOI: 10.20955/wp.2019.004
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    Cited by:

    1. Tao Huang & Ta-Chien Chan & Ying-Jhen Huang & Wen-Chi Pan, 2020. "The Association between Noise Exposure and Metabolic Syndrome: A Longitudinal Cohort Study in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-14, June.
    2. Trudeau, Christopher & King, Nicholas & Guastavino, Catherine, 2023. "Investigating sonic injustice: A review of published research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    3. Breidenbach, Philipp & Cohen, Jeffrey P. & Schaffner, Sandra, 2019. "Continuation of air services at Berlin-Tegel and its effects on rental prices," Ruhr Economic Papers 822, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    traffic noise; Lorenz curves; nonparametric regressions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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