Abstract Traffic noise is the common component at road intersections in the outdoor environment, and the sounds of traffic light signals are designed to distinguish signal transition between red and green. However, the sounds of traffic light signals are often masked by high levels of vehicle noise produced by high traffic flow. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the acoustic effects of traffic light signals and noise on sound sensitivity in the outdoor environment. A set of psychoacoustic indicators were applied to assess the traffic noise consisting of traffic light signals and vehicle noise at road intersections in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the subjective listening tests evaluated the acoustic sensitivity and perceptions. The results of psychoacoustic time-varying curves revealed distinct characteristics of traffic light signals, with fluctuation strength differing significantly between red and green signals. Moreover, the subjective perceptions of rapid tempo and regularity were significantly correlated with the measured fluctuation strength and rhythmic events per minute (REPM) during the signal transition. These findings will be the insight into the acoustic interactions between various sound sources and their perceptual implications in the outdoor environment.
Deng et al. (Thu,) studied this question.