These maps show you the noisiest places to live in California
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It’s probably no surprise, but some of the noisier parts of California can be found around airports and freeways.
The U.S. Department of Transportation released maps this week measuring transportation-related noise. Anyone who lives near an airport can tell you it’s loud. According to the map, the landing and takeoff zones around Los Angeles International Airport are particularly bad.
Similar noise spikes are evident near airports in San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, San Jose and Long Beach.
The USDOT said relatively few Americans are exposed to high levels of noise from transportation.
The study shows that more than 97% of the U.S. population “has the potential to be exposed to noise from aviation and Interstate highways at levels below 50 decibels or roughly comparable to the noise level of a humming refrigerator,” according to a USDOT statement.
“A much smaller segment of the U.S. resident population has the potential to be exposed to higher levels of aviation and Interstate highway noise. Less than one-tenth of a percent of the population could potentially experience noise levels of 80 decibels or more, equivalent to the noise level of a garbage disposal.”
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