Traffic noise in Bucharest · official strategic noise map, 2023
Bucharest noise map by address: modelled road-noise levels around every building, school and park
Bucharest City Hall published its road-noise maps only as PDF images of almost 50 MB each. Here they are searchable by address. Type a street and number to see the modelled level around the building, at night and as a 24-hour average, against what the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends.
How loud is your street?
Nearly 9 in 10 homes in Bucharest (908,986 of 1,038,266) get more than 45 dB of road-traffic noise on the facade at night. Above that level the World Health Organization sees risks to sleep. On the 24-hour average, 8 in 10 homes pass 55 dB. The figures were modelled by the city in 2023, not measured at every window. How they were calculated
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Noise level, dB(A)
- under 45
- 45–50
- 50–55
- 55–60
- 60–65
- 65–70
- 70–75
- 75–80
- above 80
WHO night limit (45) WHO 24-hour limit (53)
How many Bucharest residents are exposed to more road noise than WHO recommends?#
The city estimated residents by the road-noise level on the facade of the building they live in. Each bar shows how many live at that level or above.
At night, 1,890,691 of 2,161,347 people (87.5%) live in a building whose facade is at 45 dB or louder. 257,298 sleep above 60 dB and 60,680 above 65 dB. On the 24-hour average, 161,968 people are above 70 dB and 30,431 above 75 dB. The action plan calls 70 dB over 24 hours and 60 dB at night the threshold values for large streets (technical classes I and II); for small streets the thresholds are 65 and 55 dB.
The counts start from a population estimate by the national statistics office (INS) for July 2021: 2,161,347. The 2021 census counted 1,716,961. The shares barely change if you count homes instead: 908,986 of 1,038,266, or 87.5%, are above 45 dB at night.
The road map leaves out trams and industry, which are mapped separately. Do not add them to road: the same people can appear under several sources. The tram numbers are in the section on trams.
Source: summary of the mapping results, INCERTRANS, 2023, road-traffic tables. WHO thresholds: 53 dB Lden and 45 dB Lnight for road noise. Over 24 hours the map counts from 55 dB upwards, so it does not include the 53–55 dB interval.
Which are the loudest streets in Bucharest?#
For every street with at least 20 addresses, the map gives the level of the buildings on it. The ranking is by the typical 24-hour level (the median of the addresses), then by the street side. The search above works for any street.
The first 40 streets, loudest first
| Street | Addresses | Typical level | Street side | Addresses above 65 dB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulevardul George Constantin | 51 | 75–80 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
| Șoseaua Odăi | 135 | 75–80 dB | 75–80 dB | 88% |
| Bulevardul Ion Constantin Brătianu | 40 | 75–80 dB | 75–80 dB | 88% |
| Șoseaua București-Târgoviște | 73 | 75–80 dB | 75–80 dB | 84% |
| Piața Pache Protopopescu | 20 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
| Bulevardul Lascăr Catargiu | 83 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
| Șoseaua Grozăvești | 25 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
| Bulevardul Octavian Goga | 23 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
| Drumul Sării | 112 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 98% |
| Bulevardul Bucureștii Noi | 176 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 98% |
| Bulevardul Mărășești | 105 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 97% |
| Șoseaua Colentina | 460 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 97% |
| Strada Progresului | 55 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 96% |
| Calea Plevnei | 185 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 96% |
| Bulevardul Corneliu Coposu | 44 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 95% |
| Bulevardul Ion Ionescu de la Brad | 42 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 95% |
| Bulevardul Nicolae Bălcescu | 62 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 95% |
| Bulevardul Mareșal Alexandru Averescu | 34 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 94% |
| Bulevardul Ion Mihalache | 325 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 94% |
| Bulevardul Carol I | 89 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 93% |
| Șoseaua Ștefan cel Mare | 127 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 93% |
| Șoseaua Alexandria | 228 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 93% |
| Piața Presei Libere | 36 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 86% |
| Șoseaua Chitilei | 476 | 70–75 dB | 75–80 dB | 80% |
| Bulevardul Profesor Doctor Gheorghe Marinescu | 36 | 70–75 dB | 70–75 dB | 100% |
| Piața Alba Iulia | 25 | 70–75 dB | 70–75 dB | 100% |
| Bulevardul Unirii | 138 | 70–75 dB | 70–75 dB | 99% |
| Bulevardul Tineretului | 43 | 70–75 dB | 70–75 dB | 95% |
| Șoseaua Gării Cățelu | 89 | 70–75 dB | 70–75 dB | 93% |
| Strada Industriilor | 50 | 70–75 dB | 70–75 dB | 92% |
| Strada Alexandru Constantinescu | 80 | 65–70 dB | 70–75 dB | 100% |
| Bulevardul Libertății | 22 | 65–70 dB | 70–75 dB | 100% |
| Strada Bărăției | 26 | 65–70 dB | 70–75 dB | 96% |
| Șoseaua Dudești-Pantelimon | 56 | 65–70 dB | 70–75 dB | 89% |
| Strada Colței | 52 | 65–70 dB | 70–75 dB | 88% |
| Șoseaua Nicolae Titulescu | 104 | 65–70 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
| Bulevardul Hristo Botev | 66 | 65–70 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
| Bulevardul Aerogării | 58 | 65–70 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
| Strada Mântuleasa | 46 | 65–70 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
| Bulevardul Gheorghe Șincai | 41 | 65–70 dB | 75–80 dB | 100% |
A street average does not tell you what one flat hears: the floor, the windows and the courtyard side matter. Bands are 5 dB wide, so streets in the same band cannot be ranked reliably.
Are the nearby school and hospital exposed to road noise?#
The official map includes 1,241 sensitive buildings exposed to more than 55 dB (24-hour average): 953 schools and kindergartens and 288 hospitals and health units. Nearly half the schools are exposed to more than 65 dB.
Level on the most exposed facade (Lzsn)
| Band | Schools and kindergartens | Hospitals and health units |
|---|---|---|
| 55–60 dB | 166 | 45 |
| 60–65 dB | 325 | 76 |
| 65–70 dB | 269 | 83 |
| 70–75 dB | 147 | 59 |
| above 75 dB | 46 | 25 |
| Total | 953 | 288 |
The count of 1,241 comes from the official summary. The list below is rebuilt from the map, with names from OpenStreetMap, and may differ from the official count.
From the map, at the building's address
The list holds buildings with a name in OpenStreetMap (897). The level shown is that of the most exposed side; in brackets, the typical level around the building.
| Building | Type | 24-hour average | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gral Băneasa | Hospital or clinic | above 80 dB (70–75) | 70–75 dB (65–70) |
| StandardMed | Hospital or clinic | above 80 dB (70–75) | 70–75 dB (60–65) |
| Anemona Med | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB | 65–70 dB |
| Grădinița Discover Me | Kindergarten | 75–80 dB | 65–70 dB |
| LocalMedic | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB | 70–75 dB (65–70) |
| Westeye Hospital | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB | 70–75 dB (65–70) |
| AIS Clinics & Hospitals | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| ASM Smart Clinic | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| Affidea | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| Ambulatoriul de specialitate pentru copii și tineri - Spitalul Universitar | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| Camera de Gardă - Spitalul de Urgență Floreasca | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| Centrul Medical Gorjului | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| Centrul de Dializă dr. Carol Davila | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| Centrul de Dializă dr. Carol Davila | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| Chirurgie - Urologie | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB |
| Clinica Audionova | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB |
| Clinica Gral Medical | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB |
| Clinica Total Medical Ozon | Hospital or clinic | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 70–75 dB (60–65) |
| Colegiul Tehnic "Dimitrie Leonida" | School | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| Colegiului Tehnologic "Grigore Cerchez" | School | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 65–70 dB (60–65) |
| Consiliul Municipal al Elevilor | School | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 70–75 dB (60–65) |
| Facultatea de Administrație și Afaceri | School | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 70–75 dB (65–70) |
| Facultatea de Istorie | School | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 70–75 dB (65–70) |
| Facultatea de Limbi și Literaturi Străine | School | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 70–75 dB (65–70) |
| Facultatea de Litere | School | 75–80 dB (70–75) | 70–75 dB (65–70) |
No building with that name.
How loud are the trams?#
Trams have their own map. For tram noise, 149,046 people live above 55 dB on the 24-hour average and about 211,500 above 45 dB at night. Most of the 2025 noise petitions concerned heavy traffic and trams.
In 2025 the city measured on Șos. Olteniței, between 4:30 and 7:30 in the morning, at the facade of a residential building. Total noise, cars and trams together, was about 14 dB above background in the first half hour. At no. 224 the 51 recordings (from several positions, including the facade) have a median of 77.9 dB and a maximum of 87.8 dB.
At the Alexandria depot, the Astra Imperio and V3A tram models were measured at 3.5 m and 7.5 m from the track axis, in 43 passes. In the report's table the V3A was louder than Imperio no. 3851 in 4 of 20 readings and louder than Imperio no. 3809 in 9 of 20. The report notes that the result also depends on speed and tram mass.
Source of the measurements: 2025 annual report, Environment Directorate. The numbers of people exposed come from the official mapping summary. The tram map is not rebuilt here.
How well does the map match what sound meters record?#
In 2025 the city measured noise at 181 street points, after 187 petitions from residents, and at 106 points in parks. Every measurement is put on the map. For 11 addresses the building is also known: the bar runs from the quiet side to the loud side, and the dot is the median of the measurements.
- Șos. Olteniței 22451 readings 77.9
- Șos. Olteniței 22018 readings 77.1
- Bd. Iancu de Hunedoara 376 readings 76.5
- Șos. Nicolae Titulescu 1816 readings 75.3
- Calea Văcărești 30211 readings 74.7
- Șos. Olteniței 22617 readings 72.9
- Calea Moșilor 2312 readings 72.7
- Bd. Timișoara 72 readings 72.2
- Calea Crângași 192 readings 71.5
- Calea Dudești 1862 readings 68.6
- Str. Sergent Ștefan Crișan 91 reading 67.1
At all 11 addresses, the measured median falls within the range around the building. At 8 of them it is in the band of a typical flat or above it. The meter usually stood at the kerb, closer to the cars than a window is.
The same comparison on the kerbside measurements of 2020–2022: 234 points were matched to the nearest address, and 87% fall within the range around the building. 25 are above it, usually the kerbs closest to the cars. On 63 streets measured in both 2020 and 2022, the kerb level changed by +0.3 dB on average, which is almost nothing.
The comparison is approximate. The 2025 measurements were taken in the daytime, from a few minutes to a few tens of minutes each. The map gives an annual 24-hour average, with evening and night weighted heavier. The report itself notes that the measured values lie within the interval on the map.
Between January and September 2025 the city received 187 petitions about noise nuisance, most about heavy traffic and trams. It measured on Șos. Olteniței, Bd. Nicolae Titulescu, Bd. Iancu de Hunedoara, Bd. Timișoara, Calea Văcărești, Șos. Crângași, Șos. Alexandriei, Șos. Mihai Bravu, Calea Dudești and Calea Moșilor, and asked the street managers and STB, the city's public transport company, to act.
Source: 2025 annual report, annex 1. Levels on the map are bands 5 dB wide.
Are there quiet places in Bucharest?#
The law says a quiet zone in an agglomeration stays below 55 dB over 24 hours. The table shows what proportion of each park's mapped area is below 55 dB, for road noise only, next to what sound meters recorded in 2025.
| Park | Area | Below 55 dB on the map | Measured in 2025 | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circului | 14.9 ha | 35% | 54.4 dB (45–63) | 15 |
| Național | 10.7 ha | 47% | 49.8 dB (45–55) | 14 |
| Teilor | – | – | 54.1 dB (42–65) | 12 |
| Ioanid | – | – | 51.2 dB (47–58) | 9 |
| Pajiștea Petricani | – | – | 56.4 dB (49–79) | 9 |
| Tineretului | 149.0 ha | 47% | 52.1 dB (44–74) | 8 |
| Constantin Brâncuși | – | – | 54.2 dB (46–63) | 8 |
| Florilor | – | – | 52.6 dB (47–57) | 6 |
| Titanii | – | – | 53.8 dB (53–64) | 6 |
| Sfântul Andrei | – | – | 61.6 dB (58–66) | 4 |
| Carol | 30.3 ha | 36% | 73.0 dB (69–73) | 3 |
| IOR (Insula Câinilor) | – | – | 51.4 dB (50–54) | 3 |
| Marin Preda | – | – | 54.1 dB (50–55) | 3 |
| Gheorghe Petrașcu | – | – | 46.9 dB (46–48) | 2 |
| Pantelimon | 32.2 ha | 30% | 51.9 dB (50–54) | 2 |
| Herăstrău Park | 51.5 ha | 1% | – | 0 |
The action plan lists three quiet zones: the interior of Văcărești Natural Park (86 ha of 183), of Carol I Park (10 ha of 28) and of Tineretului Park (57 ha of 72). Page 7 of the plan describes them as declared in the previous mapping round, and page 86 proposes them again with the 2021 data. Herăstrău Park is not among them. A civic group asked for it in April 2024, in the public consultation, and the plan stayed unchanged. On the road map only 1% of the park's OpenStreetMap outline (51.5 ha) is below 55 dB.
The 2025 report says that without resources and an administrative approach the parks “cannot become areas of recreation and quiet”. A quiet zone is judged on all noise sources, and here only the road map is used.
The share below 55 dB is computed from the road map (without trams and industry), on the park outline from OpenStreetMap, using only the parts visible in the original image (about 70–90% of each park). The full park outline differs from the plan's «interior zone», so the percentages cannot be compared directly with the plan's hectares. Measurements are daytime, inside the park (leaving out those at the street kerb), from a few minutes to half an hour each.
What did the city promise in 2016, and what does the 2021 map show?#
The 2016 action plan estimated how many people would live above the legal thresholds in 2021. The plan revised in 2023 compares the estimate with the new map.
The 2016 plan estimated that about 24,200 people would live above 60 dB at night in 2021. The 2021 map estimates 257,300. Above 70 dB on the 24-hour average, the plan estimated 40,700; the map estimates 161,900.
The city gives three reasons: only about 40% of the plan's measures were finished, real traffic from counters exceeded the assumed traffic, and the population used grew. The two maps also used different traffic data: estimated in 2016; counted at the main network's junctions in 2021, with 2016 traffic scaled on the other streets. So the jump does not measure how much louder the city became.
What the 2023 plan promises, to 2028
- Rehabilitation of 16 tram lines (49 km): 392 million euros, estimated completion December 2026.
- Carried over from the 2016 plan and still in progress: a 21.14 km metro extension, due December 2027.
- Three quiet zones in the action plan: Văcărești, Carol I and Tineretului. Herăstrău is not there.
- Cost of the measures: 3.1 billion euros for road traffic and 0.7 billion for trams, 3.8 billion in all. The calculation assumes the budget is unlimited; the plan states that the decision on financial limits rests with the responsible authorities.
The European directive requires new maps every five years; the next ones are due in 2027. According to the 2025 report, until then the city wants to test an open model, NoiseModelling, in a pilot zone, following the same European method.
Source: 2023 action plan, tables 43 and 44 and sections 2.6, 2.10 and 2.12. Figures in the sources are rounded to hundreds.
How to read the map#
- What is modelled
- The levels are not measured at each address. The SoundPLAN program calculated road noise with the European CNOSSOS-EU method, from real traffic from 2,754 counters at 258 junctions (778 road segments) and the legal maximum speed, for an average year. Streets without counters used the 2016 traffic, scaled.
- What dB means
- Decibels rise on a logarithmic scale. Every extra 10 dB sounds roughly twice as loud. Lzsn is the 24-hour average, with evening and night weighted heavier (in Europe it is called Lden). Lnoapte is the night average, 23:00–07:00 (Lnight).
- How the map was read
- The published map is an image. The exact colours were read from it, it was registered to OpenStreetMap building outlines (the remaining offset is at most 1.3 pixels, or 4.5 m, in the built-up areas), and each building was given the colours around it. The typical level is the median, the street side the maximum, the quiet side the minimum. OpenStreetMap buildings and addresses cover most of the city but not its edges; for 11.1% of addresses there is no building nearby, so the level comes from the colours around the point.
- How far to trust it
- The rebuilt figures match the official tables: area above 55 dB over 24 hours is 151.8 km² against 150.1 km² in the report, and above 45 dB at night 176.8 km² against 175.1 km². OpenStreetMap apartment blocks split into bands almost like the official homes. Still, one particular flat can differ from the band by 5 dB or more.
- What it does not show
- It does not show interiors, floors, windows, events, building sites, trams, industry or noise from terraces. The calculation height is 4 m. Areas with no visible colour in the original image (under buildings and streets) were filled with the nearest colour.
- Differences in the official sources
- For trams, the summary text gives 211,519 people at night and its table 211,590; this page writes “about 211,500”. The tables for sensitive buildings have a «50–60 dB» row that should read 50–55. For the V3A–Imperio comparison, the report's text says “9 and 4” readings out of 20, while its table gives 4 for Imperio 3851 and 9 for 3809; this page uses the table.
Frequently asked questions
How noisy is Bucharest?
According to the 2023 strategic noise map, 908,986 of 1,038,266 homes (nearly 9 in 10) get more than 45 dB of road noise on the facade at night, the level above which the WHO sees risks to sleep.
What noise level does the WHO recommend?
For road traffic, WHO Europe recommends below 53 dB Lden (24-hour average) and below 45 dB Lnight (night).
Where is the official noise map of Bucharest?
On the Strategic noise maps page at pmb.ro, as PDF files for road traffic, trams and industry, for the Lzsn and Lnoapte indicators.
Can Herăstrău Park be declared a quiet zone?
The 2023 action plan does not propose it. On the road map only 1% of the park's OpenStreetMap outline is below 55 dB, the threshold for a quiet zone in a built-up area (an “agglomeration” in the directive); the calculation does not include the other noise sources.
Found a mistake?#
If an address shows a level that does not match what you hear, or a street is mixed up, send the address and what you see. The mistake will be corrected.
Sources#
- Bucharest City Hall, Environment Directorate. Strategic noise maps, 2023 (road traffic, Lzsn and Lnoapte). PDFs on pmb.ro. pmb.ro
- INCERTRANS, summary of the noise-mapping results, June 2023 (contract 117/22003/13.04.2022). doc.pmb.ro
- INCERTRANS, report on the data obtained for each strategic noise map, 2023. doc.pmb.ro
- INCERTRANS, report on the data used in the noise mapping, 2023 (CNOSSOS-EU method, receivers at 4 m, traffic from 2,754 counters). doc.pmb.ro
- Bucharest City Hall, re-evaluation and revision of the noise action plans, 2023 (public hearing 11 April 2024). pmb.ro
- Bucharest City Hall, annual report 2025 on noise monitoring, no. 36727/06.03.2026. doc.pmb.ro
- Bucharest City Hall, annual report 2024, noise monitoring programme. doc.pmb.ro
- WHO Europe, Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region, 2018: road traffic below 53 dB Lden and 45 dB Lnight (strong recommendation). who.int
- Directive 2002/49/EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise (maps reviewed at least every five years). eur-lex.europa.eu
- OpenStreetMap: buildings, addresses and streets (ODbL), taken on 28 September 2026. openstreetmap.org