Negating Neighborhood Noise Act

Negating Neighborhood Noise Act

This bill permits the use of funds from the Highway Trust Fund to construct certain Type II noise barriers along federal-aid highways.

The bill also makes the planning, design, preservation, or construction of such noise barriers eligible for surface transportation block grant program funding.

The Department of Transportation must ensure such noise barriers may be used as multipurpose noise barriers. Multipurpose noise barrier is defined as any noise barrier that provides a secondary beneficial use, including a barrier that hosts or accommodates renewable energy generation facilities, electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure, or broadband infrastructure and conduits.

A project sponsor constructing or preserving such noise barriers must consider the aesthetics of the proposed noise barrier, consistent with the latest version of the Noise Barrier Design Handbook published by the Federal Highway Administration.