Strategic noise action plan

Noise is one of the most pressing local environmental problems. People's exposure to traffic noise is increasingly perceived as a serious reduction in quality of life, a disturbing impairment of communication and concentration as well as recreation and rest at night. The aim is to reduce the population's exposure to environmental noise and to protect quiet areas from an increase in noise. To this end, the city of Chemnitz has drawn up a noise action plan, which is now being updated. This is based on noise mapping.

The 4th stage noise mapping was carried out by 30 June 2022. The results of the mapping show the noise pollution caused by the various types of noise sources investigated (such as road and rail traffic) and how many people are affected.
Residents can also use the noise maps to gain an objective impression of their noise pollution and discuss possible measures.

All interested citizens, organisations and institutions now have the opportunity to comment on the results of the 4th stage noise mapping.
From today, 28 November, until 9 January 2023 , a copy of the mapping results of the 4th stage will be available in the interpretation room 014 (next to the city shop window) of the City of Chemnitz, Technical City Hall, Friedensplatz 1, 09111 Chemnitz.

They can be viewed from Monday to Wednesday from 8.30 am to 3 pm, on Thursdays from 8.30 am to 6 pm and on Fridays from 8.30 am to 12 pm. The display room is closed between the Christmas holidays and New Year. It is also possible to view the noise maps at https://chemnitz.de/chemnitz/media/unsere-stadt/umwelt/umweltinformationen/laermkartierung_2022.pdf. More detailed maps at a scale of 1:5,000 can also be viewed directly at the Environment Agency on request.

Suggestions and comments on the mapping results can be sent by post up to and including 16 January 2023, stating the sender's name, to

• to the City of Chemnitz, Environmental Agency, Friedensplatz 1, 09111 Chemnitz or
• by e-mail to umweltamt(at)stadt-chemnitz.de.

Public information and participation is of particular importance in the development of the noise action plan. The suggestions and comments received will be examined and evaluated. They are incorporated into the revision of the noise action plan accordingly.

By 18 July 2024, the City of Chemnitz will revise the Noise Action Plan (3rd stage) adopted by the City Council on the basis of the noise maps produced.

What has been mapped so far?

In the 1st stage, noise mapping of all main roads with more than 6 million vehicles per year was carried out for the city of Chemnitz in 2007 and a noise action plan was drawn up on this basis.

The second stage of noise mapping involved the mapping of main roads with more than 3 million vehicles per year with the additional aspect of categorising parts of the city of Chemnitz as a conurbation. As a result, roads with more than 3,000 vehicles per day were taken into account in the defined conurbation and rail traffic (trams) was also mapped throughout the city.

In the 3rd stage of the mapping, the results of stage 2 were reviewed and the study area was expanded to include additional municipal and district roads with a traffic volume of more than 3,000 vehicles per day.

For this 4th stage of noise mapping, the same procedure was followed for roads and railways as for Stage 3. However, the calculation for stage 4 was carried out according to the CNOSSOS-EU (Common Noise Assessment Methods for Europe) calculation method, which is now standardised for all EU countries.

Responsibilities

The City of Chemnitz is responsible for noise mapping of road and rail traffic noise (trams). The Federal Railway Authority is responsible for noise mapping on railway lines.

Noise action planning and the revision or updating of the noise action plan confirmed by the city council (3rd stage) with specific measures to reduce noise pollution is in turn the responsibility of the City of Chemnitz.

Explanation

The "Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise" established a standardised Europe-wide concept to preferably prevent, avoid or reduce the harmful effects of environmental noise. The EC Directive was transposed into national law with the Act on the Implementation of the EC Directive on the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise and the associated amendment to Sections 47 a-f of the Federal Immission Control Act and the Ordinance on Noise Mapping (34th BImSchV).