Date: 9/13/2011

In August 2011, the AA+A Department hosted the National Highway Institute’s (NHI) Highway Traffic Noise course, a research meeting/workshop administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), US Department of Transportation (DOT).   The subjects in the course (procedures for noise studies and noise abatement measures to help protect the public health and welfare, to supply noise abatement criteria, and to establish requirements for information to be given to local officials for use in the planning and design of highways approved) are closely aligned with the curriculum of the Department’s Acoustics Program.

The 2011 Highway Traffic Noise course (FHWA-NHI-142051) exceeded the expectations set by the 2010 event, receiving even higher praise from FHWA, DOT, and acoustics professionals from throughout the US:

• “Excellent!!! all needs were met and thought was given to what the attendees would need (internet access, etc)”
• “Best services provided for an NHI course ever. Having breakfast, snacks, coffee was excellent.”
• “Everyone from CCC was absolutely first class! it was a great course made better by the excellent coordination before and during the course, and the hospitality extended to all by the staff and faculty was incredibly good!”

In addition to an acoustical consultant from Edmonton, Alberta, we hosted an additional thirty professionals from Arizona, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Vermont.  Representative occupations included Senior Environmental Planner, Transportation Planner, Senior Environmental Scientist, Urban Engineer, Traffic Modeler, NEPA Manager and the owner of a soundproofing business.  Five of the participants work for the Federal Highway Administration and seven work for State Departments of Transportation.  This map shows participants, instructors and academic partners for all three years.

This is the third year in a row that we’ve hosted NHI and we’re proud of our continuing collaboration with the United States FHWA and DOT and we look forward to NHI 2012!