Traffic Noise

[docj101 99]

Lately I've been into building small, low density residential neighborhoods.  I've been having an issue keeping the small houses from looking dilapidated.  The reason appears to be traffic noise.  What I don't understand is: how can these houses have traffic noise 'high' when almost no traffic (~40 cars) use the road in the area?  If I actually query the road leaving this neighborhood it says 40 cars.  This neighborhood is isolated from everything else in the city by half of a large tile.  There is no through traffic, this is on a dead end in the middle of nowhere.  Traffic data view doesn't even register volume.  I have even adjusted the traffic noise coefficient around in the pathfinder with no changes.  I do use the 'radical' automata .dat from NAM, could this play a role?  Any ideas?  (its hard to see in the photo but half of the buildings have dark spots)
 

[T Wrecks 10,209]

This is not a direct answer, but you can improve desirability by means of parks etc. and probably compensate for the negative effect of traffic noise this way.

 

I'm not sure if traffic noise is calculated by number of cars or by congestion. If the latter is the case, then the problem might be due to the extremely low capacity of Maxis streets. Are you using any transportation mods such as the NAM, by the way?

[docj101 99]

Yeah, I'm using NAM30 full install w/ radical automata and a customized traffic simulator.  RHW too. 

 

Since I originally posted this I went back in and added a school and clinic for those houses.  Those additions did bring the houses all back from dilapidation, but as you said, its more of a compensation effect.

 

The thing is, I was hoping to keep land value and education low in these smaller areas, just have houses of the R$ and maybe R$$ variety fill the lots instead of eventually R$$$.  I was going to apply imagination and figure the sims with kids will simply move into a school district.  These towns would be for empty nesters and retirees.

[z1 566]

Traffic noise is calculated strictly based on the numbers of Sims using the road networks.  So upgrading streets to roads, for example, has no effect on traffic noise if the number of Sims using them remains the same.  High traffic noise rarely has an observable effect on residentials; the change in desirability it creates is generally way too small to make a difference.  The problem almost always lies in other areas.  In this case, adding a school and a clinic solved the main problem; it was not a compensating effect.

 

On the other hand, why you should have high traffic noise with such a low traffic volume is a bit of a mystery.

[docj101 99]

Traffic noise is calculated strictly based on the numbers of Sims using the road networks.  So upgrading streets to roads, for example, has no effect on traffic noise if the number of Sims using them remains the same.  High traffic noise rarely has an observable effect on residentials; the change in desirability it creates is generally way too small to make a difference.  The problem almost always lies in other areas.  In this case, adding a school and a clinic solved the main problem; it was not a compensating effect.

 

On the other hand, why you should have high traffic noise with such a low traffic volume is a bit of a mystery.

Yeah I figured that was the case, except I thought perhaps maybe faster roads would lead to less congestion, thus less noise.

 

I see what your saying though, the buildings were dilapidated mostly because of the health and EQ and they happened to also have high traffic.

 

I still think that if the traffic didn't register as high that at least $ wealth sims would have nice houses (not dilapidated anyway) in a low health, low EQ environment.

 

And yeah!  That's what I'm talking about mostly... very strange that I have high traffic noise w/o traffic isn't it.  It's a mystery for sure.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Consider setting up your neighbourhoods without through streets.  Just make culs de sac, or lay out the neighbourhoods in U shapes with the high traffic points only at the entrances which can have some 2 x 2 stores.  You may then want to use some form of rail along or under the main drag.  Lots of trees help suppress noise.

 

To avoid nuisance lot merges, zone 2 x 1, any density.  There can never be consolidated into 4 x 4 lots for mansions.