Bucharest approves strategy to cut urban noise levels

The General Council of Bucharest has approved a new plan aimed at tackling noise pollution in the city, where one in five residents, or an estimated 419,000 people, are exposed daily to sound levels above legal limits. The initiative, as announced by the City Hall, will see the rollout of a monitoring and mitigation program designed to make the city quieter and healthier.

The authorities will deploy 28 fixed and two mobile noise measurement stations across the capital to track sound levels in real time, the City Hall said.

At the same time, to reduce traffic-related noise, the city will also introduce sound-absorbing asphalt, impose lower speed limits on certain road sections, and create new residential zones capped at 30 km/h. These measures will be reinforced with radar panels displaying vehicle speeds to encourage compliance.

Pilot projects will first be implemented in high-traffic areas near major parks, including Cișmigiu Park on Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, Herăstrău Park on Regele Mihai I Boulevard, and Tineretului Park on Tineretului Boulevard.

Data collected through the program will be analyzed until the end of 2026 and used to update Bucharest’s strategic noise maps. City officials say these maps will provide a foundation for further urban planning decisions and long-term noise reduction policies.

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