What is meant by providing “reasonable” highway traffic noise abatement?
Reasonableness is a more subjective criterion than feasibility. It implies that common sense and good judgment were applied in arriving at a decision. Reasonableness should be based on a number of factors not just one criterion. The criteria used for determining feasibility and reasonableness should indicate a broad consideration of conditions that apply in a given location. The criteria should allow identification of the overall benefits, as well as the overall adverse social, economic, and environmental effects, of the noise abatement. Quantification of each of the criteria allows their use in making a more objective decision. This should allow the decision to be more supportable and more easily explained. The criteria should be responsive to the need to provide noise abatement. Conversely, the effects on overall cost to the highway program should be considered when quantifying the criteria. Consequently, the criteria need to be prudently developed. This paper later presents an examp
