Urban America Is Getting Noisier

"Traffic noise is growing sharply in communities across the country — wealthy, poor, urban, rural. The volume of vehicles, particularly heavy big rigs, has climbed steeply over the last decade. And people are driving faster, further amping up the noise... Activists say the rising din is no mere annoyance. Noise well below levels that damage hearing can increase blood pressure, fatigue and stress, medical studies show. Researchers have found that traffic noise near schools interferes with learning... European and Asian nations, as well as the World Health Organization, have set goals for sharply reducing noise from all sources and tightening restrictions on motor vehicles in the next few years."

Thanks to Chris Steins