• The Rennes metropolitan area has just updated its noise map and adopted a new environmental noise prevention plan.

  • Nine black spots have been identified in the Breton capital.

  • In addition to road noise, noise pollution from the airport also affects the daily life of around 2,350 inhabitants.

It is an obligation for all agglomerations of more than 100,000 inhabitants.

Since the adoption of a European directive in 2002, all major cities have had to draw up a noise map on their territory and adopt a plan for the prevention of noise in the environment.

Ten years after the previous one, Rennes Métropole has just updated its data and adopted its new plan on Thursday, which now runs until 2026. The noise map has also been updated based on new measurements taken.

Overall, the Breton capital does not have much to complain about noise pollution.

"The sound environment in the metropolis is more favorable than in other territories of the same size", indicates Philippe Thébault, deputy vice-president for public spaces and roads and mayor of Saint-Gilles.

There are, however, black spots.

There are nine of them in mainland France, seven in Rennes (rue de Nantes, rue de l'Alma, rue Saint-Hélier, boulevard Villebois-Mareuil, rue de Châteaudun, rue de Saint-Malo and boulevard des Trois Croix) and two on the outskirts (departmental road 27 in Gévezé and departmental road 125 in Vezin-le-Coquet).

Nine sectors where automobile traffic is dense and where the sound levels recorded exceed the regulatory threshold of 68 decibels.

“It can reach 74 decibels in certain sectors”, underlines the elected official, specifying that approximately 1,350 inhabitants are impacted.

Ten zones placed in vigilance

If the threshold is not exceeded there, vigilance is also required in ten areas, such as rue de Vern, the departmental road RD177 in Bruz and Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande or the RD137 in Montgermont and Saint- Gregory.

To remedy this noise pollution, the metropolis relies heavily on its new urban transport plan which aims to drastically reduce car traffic.

"This should make it possible to obtain positive effects on the sound environment for four zones exceeding the threshold", assures Philippe Thébault.

For the other five, this will not be enough and solutions will have to be found to reduce the noise.

This could involve reducing the speed in certain sectors or installing soundproofing.

The installation of protective structures, such as merlons, is also under consideration.

About 2,350 people affected by airborne noise

But car traffic is not the only cause of noise pollution in the Breton capital.

Around Rennes/Saint-Jacques airport, 734 residential buildings, or 2,352 people, are thus impacted by airborne noise, which in these places exceeds the regulatory threshold set at 55 decibels.

To reduce noise, an experiment is currently underway to consider new aircraft departure trajectories.

Finally, to a lesser extent, rail traffic disrupts the daily lives of around 200 residents who have to withstand noise levels above 73 decibels, particularly at night.

“But it remains quite limited in the city, the noise pollution is much greater outside the metropolis when the train has picked up speed”, specifies the elected official.

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