
Show Notes
From loss of sleep to loss of hearing, noise can pose a real threat. Recent studies have even identified a possible link between noise exposure and dementia. Traffic noise is a major contributor to noise pollution that fuels these negative health outcomes. Tires hitting pavement make up the majority of highway noise. Better modeling and barriers can work to mitigate this for folks living near areas with high levels of noise- and DOT practitioners are working toward such solutions for all affected. Joining us on the podcast today is Noel Alcala, Noise and Air Quality Coordinator at Ohio Department of Transportation. Noel also heads the AASHTO Noise Working Group, which operates under the Committee on Environment and Sustainability. The noise working group convenes state DOTs and promotes discourse on, and works in reducing traffic noise and its negative effects. Reach out to Noel and the Noise Working Group at: [email protected]
More from The Stream by AASHTO
In this episode, Caleb Knerr and Tayler MacDonald discuss the steps Missouri Department of Transportation to address wildlife-vehicle collisions on state roadways.
In this episode, Alissa Fadden – wildlife connectivity project manager for The Nature Conservancy in New York – and Chris Slesar, environmental resources coordinator at the Vermont Agency of Transportation, join the Stream by AASHTO podcast to discuss “Highways and Habitats,” a video training series that helps bridge the gap between road ecology and habitat connectivity. The pair discussed the importance of bringing transportation ecology to the forefront of state department of transportation projects and how this new training program helps teach state DOT professionals the ins-and-outs of connecting both people and wildlife safely across the northeast.
In this episode, Alan Hejl talks about how his work at General Motors addressing the vehicle needs of the disabled, along with the travel difficulties experienced by his wheelchair-bound wife, inspired him to form his company, Spark Access. Hejl dives into how those personal experiences pushed him to advocate for the mobility needs of the disabled – especially in terms of how greater mobility for the disabled fosters more inclusion for them in society. Hejl also explains how his advocacy efforts include creating more autonomous vehicle accessibility for the disabled.
The latest episode of the “The Stream by AASHTO” podcast features Russell McMurry – commissioner of Georgia Department of Transportation – discussing his emphasis areas as 2025-2026 president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; emphasis areas focused on safety, National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA compliance, ways to improve project delivery, and federal surface transportation funding reauthorization.
In this episode, Darlene Goehl – research engineer and research group lead at Texas A&M University’s Transportation Institute – explains how new infrastructure being developed in Texas can help prevent thousands of monarch butterfly deaths as they migrate across busy roads in North America.