Abstract

In 2007 was conducted a study that measured the noise levels produced by traffic on the Autopistas del Oeste highway at the Ituzaingó District, west of Buenos Aires. The result of the measurements was that noise exceeded the levels allowed by the regulation for the District. The municipal authorities, attemping to mitigate the noise inmision next to the highway, suggested to the concessionaire to plant tree rows at the border of the highway. This work is based on previous studies that demonstrate the low efficacy of tree rows to attenuate the sound energy. The objective is to assess sound reduction perceived after the trees were planted. For this purpose a survey was applied to the neighbors of that highway. The preliminary results indicate that the majority of residents from areas adjacent to the highway did not perceive a reduction of the noise, although most of them persist to believe that a row of trees effectively helps to mitigate noise.