Sound Barriers for Portsmouth


This summer I have tried to help organize residents advocating for sound barriers for Portsmouth, New Hampshire.   Because of the limitations that Facebook has linking files, I have created this post to link a couple of important documents.  

This is the NHDOT's 2016 Noise Abatement Policy.  Note that it is up for review in 2021 which means that the formula for how schools like the New Franklin School are counted as receptors is also up for review.  This is probably the most important document for the New Franklin School community to consider.   A related document with the US DOT regulations governing state highway noise abatements is HERE.  

This is the NHDOT's November 15, 2021 Presentation to the Portsmouth City Council which shows the areas that qualify and do not qualify for noise abatement (noise barriers).  While many areas qualified for noise barriers, the New Franklin School did not because, according to the NHDOT policy, its frontage on I-95 considers it to be only 6 receptors, even though 1/3 of the elementary school children go to NFS.  That is a bad policy for Portsmouth and for New Hampshire as a whole.  

Here is a letter from the Portsmouth School Board requesting that the Governor and Executive Council take action on the issue.  

Here are letters from children at the New Franklin School to the Governor and Executive Council explaining how highway noise effects them.  

I have some thoughts on how the NH DOT Policy could be improved but right now I just want to share this post so others can read and share this information.  

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