Experiences living on moderately busy two-lane street?

August 29, 2021 9:14 AM

We're looking at a house that we like a lot but it's on a moderately busy street. What are your experiences living on a busier street? Did you mind the traffic noise (both while inside the house and outside in the backyard)?

The house is on a two-lane road (one lane in each direction). It's nominally 25mph, but in reality people go faster. There is a major business nearby that gets a lot of out and back traffic past the house approximately 9 AM to 5 PM 7 days a week (yes, even on the weekends). Based on our observations today it seems like 1 car every 5-10 seconds or so. After 5 PM it drops off a lot.

It's particularly important to us that we're comfortable being outside in the backyard (which is separated from the street by the house) for board games, gardening, reading a book, etc. during the day on the weekends. Inside we're guessing will be less of an issue at least with the windows closed.

We've always lived on quieter residential streets so it's hard for us to know if this is something we'll adjust to immediately or whether we will wish we'd passed on the house. We've had things like trains every 10-15 minutes within hearing distance that didn't bother us but those seem less constant than this.

We have walked by the house and will be going to the open house this afternoon to try to get a better idea of what it's going to be like, but it's hard for us to tell whether or not it will bother us because of course when you're listening for it you hear every car go by. When we got home from walking by the house yesterday we went out in our own backyard and realized we could hear a lot of random noise when we were paying attention that we normally don't even notice.

Have you lived on a busy street? What was it like? Did you notice the traffic noise, especially when you were outside?

posted by unus sum to Home & Garden (40 answers total)

For me, traffic noise is most bothersome if you are on or near a corner and have a stop sign or traffic light -- or a bus stop -- close to your house. If cars (or worse, buses) stop and rev up again, it's much harder ever to get used to the traffic as white noise.
posted by nantucket at 9:26 AM on August 29, 2021 [10 favorites]

One thought: get a sound-level app on your smartphones, check the sound level in your current place (outside front, outside back, and center of house) and then measure those same locations in the new house.
posted by aramaic at 9:29 AM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

We did notice the traffic noise, but got used to it eventually. In a way it was comforting to hear people going about their day. On preview, it makes a big difference if people are stopping/starting and or going up/down a hill in front of your house vs just rolling by.

Be prepared to clean more if you keep windows open, our house gets a layer of grime on the windowsills and floors from road dust and exhaust.

One thing to think about is whether your road could get busier in the future, either from new home developments/gentrification or just more people moving into the area. Is your street a connection between schools, businesses, different parts of town? Where I live, formerly medium-busy residential streets have turned into arterials almost overnight as people try to find escape valves for congested main traffic routes.
posted by stellaluna at 9:30 AM on August 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

My concern would be less noise and more the process of pulling your car out. Do you have to back out of a driveway onto a busy street?
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 9:30 AM on August 29, 2021 [11 favorites]

When I've lived on busy streets I've been able to tune out traffic noise, but I've noticed that it still feels like a huge relief to go somewhere quieter, like my ears can rest. Traffic noise also isn't great for your health (links to heart disease, etc). Do semi trucks go to the nearby business? That would be even worse.
posted by pinochiette at 9:31 AM on August 29, 2021 [5 favorites]

We live on a thru street. It has speed bumps. It is busy for a residential space and we do have people that go through too fast. However, it’s very quiet at night. Maybe go to the street during “rush hour” and walk it up and down a few times and see what you think. Then come back at 8 pm, prime backyard relaxing time and see. On paper, this street should be too busy for us but it’s fine and the grime is waaay lower than when we lived too close to a highway.
posted by amanda at 9:36 AM on August 29, 2021

It's just so personal right? I don't mind trains or planes or even distant highway roar. But close-by traffic drives me nuts. It will also be harder to enter/exit your driveway for you and guests. You don't mention street parking but if it's there, it will be more dangerous, and if it's not, it may be more annoying for guests to park.
Finally, air quality is much lower on busy streets.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:39 AM on August 29, 2021

Particularly if you either don't have AC or just prefer to have open windows, the question of noise levels inside the house is probably going to be a bigger issue than noise levels in the backyard which has the house between it and the street.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:47 AM on August 29, 2021

Also, there is a big difference in my experience in the noise levels if you just have cars passing at a mostly steady speed, versus if you are near an intersection or curve so you get all the loud acceleration noise.
posted by Dip Flash at 9:51 AM on August 29, 2021

I live on a fairly busy street (40 MPH, two lanes, no on-street parking) and the traffic became white noise very quickly.
posted by thomas j wise at 9:55 AM on August 29, 2021

I lived for about 8 years on one of Boston's Parkways, which was 2 lanes in either direction of 45+ mph traffic, with some trees that buffeted the sound a bit. The reduction of stress when (1) COVID hit and THERE WERE NO CARS for a couple months and then (2) we moved to some place much quieter, after saying "its not so bad" for our time there was, to me, very palpable.

A few things we found:
- Getting some good heavy curtains on the windows that face the street can be a huge help to deaden the noise.
- The sounds change with the weather -- when covered with snow, before things became slush, it was much quieter. On a rainy day there was a lot of spray noise.
- Keep the windows closed if you can. We didn't do A/C, so it wasn't really an option in the summer, but yeah, especially if they are new windows, keeping them closed can be a huge help.
- When traffic dropped down in the evening, I tended to find it more annoying, as the few cars that came by tended to be going faster (since there were fewer cars on the road) and stood out more, for example motorcycles in the middle of the night.
- Construction equipment tended to be the worst -- semis can't fit on the Parkway, so we didn't have to deal with much of that.
- The traffic was louder in the winter without leaves on the trees.
- Earplugs. Learn to sleep with earplugs if you are a lighter sleeper.
posted by chiefthe at 10:03 AM on August 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

I've lived on far busier streets than what you describe, and it *can* be a pain in the ear when traffic is heavy or clogged or honking. For the most part, though, you grow accustomed to it after a few months. It can even be soothing, like the roar of the ocean (seriously).

I'd advise caution, of course, if you have young kids, or frequent visitors who bring children.
posted by Doug Holland at 10:09 AM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

I didn’t mind at all, it was nice to be able to get places without driving through side streets first, made quick trips to the store easy, and much more walkable/bikeabke. I also don’t really mind traffic noise, so the main drawback for some didn’t really apply to me.

Other factors that I’d consider:

How far is the house set back? We had around 45 feet of front yard/sidewalk, then a parking lane, plus the street itself was divided by a 10 foot median. There were also a good bit of trees in the yard and the median, which I think absorbs a good bit of noise and just makes things visually more appealing.

What are the housing materials and window quality? Our house was built in around 1960, very solid brick construction, really cuts down the noise, IF the windows are modern. We had ancient windows when we moved in, and the street noise woke me up every morning. When we installed newer windows ($$), street noise disappeared for the most part. But with modern construction materials instead of old brick, I think it would still be noisy.
posted by skewed at 10:16 AM on August 29, 2021

Go there late at night. The problem may not be the normal traffic sounds, which you will be able to tune out. The sounds that will annoy you are brapping motorcycles, late-night racers (the pandemic has emboldened this crowd exponentially), rumbling trucks and other louder-than-usual vehicles.
posted by sageleaf at 10:19 AM on August 29, 2021 [8 favorites]

I live on my town's main drag.

Both foot and vehicle traffic can be a bit heavy, we have to watch our toddler pretty carefully, and it can be annoying to deal with the occasional noisy machomobile, like a truck that's rolling coal. Street parking can be a hassle during busy times, and on rare occasions strangers park in front of or even in our driveway.

But overall it's a positive experience.

We sit on the porch and see the whole town go by, we get to know neighbors, we have easy access to amenities, and we even have a front row seat to town parades and events. Our backyard is fenced, so we have privacy and very little noise.
posted by champers at 10:29 AM on August 29, 2021

Our new-to-us through street connects two very busy streets and people use it as a cut-through shortcut even though it really isn't and I wish I could school everyone that they're totally NOT saving time by racing through our neighborhood. What really bothers me is the people who blast their music from their cars. Like, sometimes loud enough to rattle the windows. And it's worse if we're outside at the time. It's so, so un-neighborly. I'm not sure we regret buying the house because of it but I do wish we had realized how much it was going to happen. We lived on an incredibly sleepy, quiet street for 20+ years before this.
posted by cooker girl at 10:30 AM on August 29, 2021

One of the reasons I moved to the suburbs was for the quiet. I am not sure where your neighborhood is or will be, but if a peaceful quiet is what you are looking for, even the backyard will have a dull roar. Growing up, my parent's property backed up to a fairly major highway. Also under the flight path to JFK. It became white noise and background noise and as kids we rarely noticed it until there was a squealing tire, but I noticed it more when I went to college and came home. I would never live where there was a lot of traffic noise now. But, it can easily be ignored and the choice is so personal.
posted by AugustWest at 10:32 AM on August 29, 2021

I just moved from a fairly quiet residential street to busier two-lane street that sounds very similar to what you're describing. Overall, I like my new place more than the old one, but the vehicle noise is definitely a con. I notice it a lot more than I thought I would, especially as someone who loves to have the windows open when the weather allows. Fortunately I'm just renting, but when it comes time to buy I'll probably be looking for a location with less traffic.

I would definitely not buy a house at a busy intersection with a stop light/stop & go traffic. Lived in an apartment like that once and the windowsills would get gross black dust on them. I can't imagine it was good for anyone's lungs.
posted by oiseau at 10:36 AM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

More cars = impaired air quality. I lived 2 doors from a very busy road; as the town grew over the 20+ years I lived there, it got annoying. Now I live in the boonies with less pollution in general, less light pollution, and I love seeing the stars at night.
posted by theora55 at 11:00 AM on August 29, 2021

Is your bedroom facing the street? If so, the noise is going to be a lot more troublesome. Someone talking on their phone in their car across the street will have more of an impact on your ability to sleep than a car driving by, as your brain will try to follow the conversation. Even people just opening and closing their car doors will seem loud in the night silence. You'll have to keep your windows closed at night, which means less ventilation.
posted by meowzilla at 11:00 AM on August 29, 2021

Emphasizing the first posted comment, from Nantucket- Living near a stop sign was hard to adjust to. The random accelerations of cars leaving the intersection are actually worse than living at a stop light, which at least affords periodic breaks. If traffic generally moves by steadily it will become white noise eventually. And if traffic is on the complete other side of the house, it will be even less noticeable.
You could also introduce your own white noise- I installed a 'water feature' in the yard, a bubbling fountain that helped me imagine a nearby babbling brook instead.
If you are buying this house, definitely hang out at different times/days to get a complete impression of the traffic. Or talk to the neighbors.
posted by TDIpod at 11:14 AM on August 29, 2021

Our house backs up to a road that, when I moved in, was only two lanes but now is four lanes with a dedicated turning lane and a 45 mph speed limit. There are trucks and the like going by during the day and also at night. But with the exception of Harleys in the summer, the occasional truck using its air brakes, and cars blasting music, it has largely become background noise for us that we pay no attention to. In fact, we have a screened porch in the back of the house and the traffic noise acts like a cone of silence that allows us to speak in normal/loud voices on the porch and our neighbors can't hear us. Inside the house, the quality of the windows makes a big difference. The house got a lot quieter when we had our windows replaced some years ago.
posted by DrGail at 11:39 AM on August 29, 2021

Lived on a through street with FAR less traffic than that and HATED IT. Just HATED IT. Resolved never to do that again.

We moved from there to a 12th floor apartment that overlooked a large courtyard that had no traffic on any other of three sides (apartment building / apartment building / river), and from there to a house set back 50 feet from what I like to think of as a cul de sac squared (the neighborhood as a whole has only one outlet, and we're on what is a literal cul de sac within that). The house behind us is one of the streets that is de facto a cul de sac even though it is technically connected.

I have enjoyed the absence of through street traffic every day for 15 years!
posted by MattD at 11:50 AM on August 29, 2021

It's particularly important to us that we're comfortable being outside in the backyard (which is separated from the street by the house) for board games, gardening, reading a book, etc. during the day on the weekends.

Since you're thinking about this, one other thing to keep an ear out for on that front is white noise from surrounding houses. A street I lived on once got very little traffic, but the neighbor's AC system droned so loudly when it was on that hanging out in the yard in the summer was kind of unpleasant.
posted by trig at 12:13 PM on August 29, 2021

i recommed looking at it at night. i rented a place once, and only after I moved in did i notice that a street light and traffic signal blasted into my living area.
posted by j_curiouser at 12:40 PM on August 29, 2021

I live just off a street like you describe. The big issues for me are 1) asshole motorcyclists gunning it down the street—you can tune out normal traffic noise but the startling roar of a motorcycle gives you a surge of adrenaline every time and 2) air quality, especially in winter. When I stay with my mom on her normal suburban street I am astounded by sweet smell of the air and the quiet. I would not do it. I stay only because the house is ideal for me in every other way and is paid off.
posted by HotToddy at 1:06 PM on August 29, 2021

I live on a corner on a moderately busy street. In former years when there was a stop sign, I noticed when people slammed on their brakes or about once a month, there was a crash. Now that there is a roundabout, i don't notice traffic much except for the odd loud motorcycle, souped-up car or a car with an arena strength sound system.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 3:43 PM on August 29, 2021

Does your driveway location mean you'll have to back out into that street? Because hell no to that. I live in a neighborhood bordered by a major intersection but the houses along the main road on our side actually have their own little half-street separated from the street-street by an easement so they're always entering the main street front-end first, and that seems slightly more humane.

Also do you have pets? My dogs are old now but when they were young they were prone to being runners if the front door was opened in an unprotected manner, and that was one reason I've never been willing to live on a busy road.

Is there parking on that road, and do people generally use it and when do they use it? That's a lot of door-slamming if people are parking to shop or overflow from nearby apartments.

Street racers, every asshole with some kind of muffler situation, motorcycles, anything with sirens (especially if there's also a large intersection/any kind of traffic light nearby, where they have to slow and honk to cross).

I live two streets up from that street, and maybe my noise is worse because we are also maybe 40' of elevation above it so I don't have a lot of extra roof and building between us and it, but it's not quiet in our backyard. We do live with it, we watch TV outside every evening as the patio is our living room, but we have to pause the TV at least as frequently for street racers and sirens and such as we do for low airplanes and helicopters. We have also lived near a train and near one of DFW's famous freeway flyovers, and it's probably a smidge louder here but it's also Los Angeles. I don't know that the noise alone would be a dealbreaker for me, but the light pollution, noise, somewhat reduced privacy, and actual pollution of living on a main road would give me pause.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:55 PM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

I live on a moderately busy two-lane street and while I love my house, the noise is an irritant. Especially in spring and fall, when I would love to throw open all the windows - but the traffic noise interferes with TV or radio or podcast listening, unless I use earbuds/headphones.

Our house is two/three stories, but we can still hear the traffic in the back yard when we're at the pool or just hanging out on the deck.

And it's not just the regular traffic; though we're in a very safe neighborhood in general, our road is the easiest route to the nearest highway, and every ambulance, fire truck or police car that gets in a bit of a hurry seems to turn their sirens on JUST in front of our house.

I also worry a lot about our pets - we have both cats and dogs, and if one were to make a break for it, the likelihood of ending up in a tussle with a fast-moving car is very high.

It's not enough to make us move or anything. But if at some point in the future we DO move, we're definitely going to look for quieter, slower streets. It's been three years now, and it hasn't yet faded into the background for me. It's not enough to drive me crazy, and there's enough about our home that I love that makes it worth it to me -- but it's still a nuisance.
posted by invincible summer at 4:35 PM on August 29, 2021

I've lived on a similarly busy street and the noise didn't really bother me. What would concern me is having to back out into that street - that would be an automatic no for me. I would also worry about any cats/dogs in case they ever made a run for it or if you have (or plan to in the near future) young kids. Also consider if you like to go for walks in your neighborhood and how enjoyable/safe that would be on your particular street.
posted by litera scripta manet at 5:22 PM on August 29, 2021

I lived on a similar street for 8 years - are the windows extra thick or can you get heavy curtains to block noise?

Will you be wanting to open your windows? - be prepared to clean more as the debris from exhaust is dark.

Are you on an ambulance route? Do trucks go on this street a lot? That is different than just cars. Are you next to a light? Or in the middle of a block/set of blocks where cars move on by? Are there times of more traffic? And what rooms face the street?

And does it interact with getting in and out of your car? Are you parking on the street? Do you have to pull in and out of a drive way or are you using an alley?

I would say that I got used to it, but guests were often bothered.

Your answers to this will answer how loud and also give you a sense of what there is to mind. As to how loud the back yard is, only you know your location and how the house blocks noise (the taller and wider the house on the lot the better it will block).
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 5:49 PM on August 29, 2021

I live on a busy two-lane 25mph street, just outside the downtown area of a small city. My city is literally the noisiest city I've ever been in - every care is a loud-pipe Harley, a lifted diesel pickup truck, an occasional semi truck, or a Subaru street racer with a coffee can muffler. And if the mufflers don't get your attention, the car stereos will. It drives me insane. And yet, it's not really that loud. My daughter doesn't like it, but we don't notice inside unless all the windows are open, and we only notice in the backyard if someone is being an ass and intentionally revving their engine (OK so we notice a lot but if you live in a normal city this would presumably not be a problem). That's not what I don't like about my street.

There are two other issues that I do notice, though, that make me not want to live here. First, speed. We live in between two elementary schools, and so the city helpfully installed a "Your Speed" display under the Speed Limit 20 When Flashing sign. Most people seem to treat it like a video game where they try to get the high score. It's significantly more common to see speeds over 50 than under 35. There is no grass between the sidewalk and the street, and sometimes no sidewalks at all. It is REALLY dangerous to be a pedestrian on my street. If you have younger kids, that's a big consideration.

Second is snow. My driveway opens out onto the street, meaning the city plows it over. I have to dig out the opening if I want to get my car out. Takes a hell of a lot longer to shovel a three-foot snowbank than to just shovel a driveway. And even if I shovel, there's usually still a bump, so I have to gun my car in reverse to get out. When there's a high volume of traffic and most of it is traveling 40+mph, that's a dicey proposition. Obviously depends on where you are.

Living here has soured me on living on a busy street. I wouldn't do it again. What I'd really like is a quiet street a block or two away from the busy street.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:53 PM on August 29, 2021

I live on the residential end of what turns into a thoroughfare and one of my city's main entertainment districts a few miles down the road, and we're one house away from its intersection with another residential street that connects to an urban expressway about a mile away. After 10 years living here, we have a set of likes and dislikes.

Likes:

• Easy to get on the interstate without living right next to it.
• Easy to get to the entertainment district by car or by bicycle.
• We get plowed first and often during a winter storm.
• Giving directions to our house is easy; everyone in this metro area knows this street.

Dislikes:

• Motorcycles and muscle cars like to peel out at the stop sign, and they don't care if you're asleep.
• If the expressway has an accident or road closure, we're an alternate route on people's way to the suburbs.
• We don't want our daughter playing in the front yard unsupervised.

That's really about it. Our house is brick with plaster walls, so we usually can't hear normal traffic noise, just the obnoxious vehicles. It's a non-issue when we're in the back yard. Would I like to move to a quieter street? Sure, but it's not enough to compel me to start looking for other houses. I sleep through the motorcycles at night and so does the rest of my family. We're used to it. If you choose to live on a street like this, you'll get used to it too.
posted by TrialByMedia at 7:35 PM on August 29, 2021

One “fun” thing about living on a busy street is the amount of litter and street trash that gets blown or swept up onto your property - or folks that dump “free” furniture onto your sidewalk / property that you have to clean up later. YMMV.
posted by WedgedPiano at 7:35 PM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]

We lived on a major road for a number of years and I barely noticed the noise and it drove my husband bonkers. I don't know if you have kids, but one thing that was hard was when our kids were in their 'darting' phase and it was quite scary being so near that many quickly moving cars.
posted by jeszac at 8:31 AM on August 30, 2021

Our house backs up onto a busy street, which was not so busy when we bought the house. But a decade of development and construction means that what was once a quiet street (except right before school started and right after it ended, since we're near one) is now a busy thoroughfare.

Our bedroom is at the back of the house, separated from the street by our (small) yard and a tall brick wall. During the day, we don't notice the noise unless a particularly loud truck or motorcycle goes by. Night, however, is a different beast, and it got harder to fall asleep due to the traffic noise. We bought a white-noise generator, which worked until I started having problems with my ears ringing (medication side effect along with just age-related stuff) and the generator was making it worse. We've been debating the idea of soundproof (noise-abating, not true soundproof) windows or window inserts, but haven't decided to make that leap yet, given that we're thinking of moving in the next 5 years or so.

We ended up buying sound-abating curtains, which kill about 60-70% of the noise and make it possible to fall sleep. If I wake up in the middle of the night and move to another room to try to sleep (I don't want to stay awake for hours in bed and kill the association of bed=sleep), I can tell the difference.

Would I buy another house in this situation again? Oh hell no.
posted by telophase at 8:43 AM on August 30, 2021

We live on a busy street.

Things that helped us specifically for spending time in the garden. A privacy fence, not only to keep our dogs in but to give us a sense of escape from the hustle and bustle it also helps block some of the noise and visual "clutter" of lots of cars. As does planting lots of plants. We also have a front fence to delineate our space from public space which helped me mentally just feel safer.

Our back yard has a nice splashy fountain near where we like to sit and relax, the white noise of the water really does help your brain not notice the street noise so much. I've seen some people use windchimes for the same thing.

The downsides besides the things others have mentioned are the dust on everything that the cars kick up and the pollution levels. We may have to move due to respiratory issues I've developed, unrelated to the traffic but exacerbated by it.
posted by wwax at 9:06 AM on August 30, 2021

I live on a street that sounds similar to yours. In the backyard I don't notice normal traffic noise at all and inside only if the front windows are open. I will notice the people with their loud cars racing down the street at all hours, not enough to wake me up, but enough to annoy me if I'm awake. All of our bedrooms are in the back of the house where it is quieter.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:22 AM on August 30, 2021

We lived on a hill above an interstate highway in the suburbs, so 3 lanes in each direction. There was a fountain on the backside of the building that did absolute wonders for muting the noise when it was running, so consider that option. It wasn't even a roaring fountain, just a nice trickle that turned the focus away from the highway noise. Currently, we live on the corner in a subdivision about two turns off the main road of the subdivision with much, much less traffic, and less than you describe, and i hate it worse than the highway building because of what others above describe about the starting and stopping.
posted by BlueBear at 11:23 AM on August 30, 2021

Based on my experience, I think the answer is going to be much more about your individual noise tolerances. I live on a fairly busy street and I used to have a roommate. The street noise never bothered me but it was a constant irritation to my roommate.
posted by mhum at 2:48 PM on August 30, 2021