Tram noise annoyance: The role of different psychoacoustic measures in the assessment of noise

•Standardized tram noise measurements in the normal operation conditions.•Psychoacoustic measures calculation and different statistical analyses and verification.•More effective approach to assessment the tram noise annoyance in the cities. Current environmental standards rely on A-weighted equivalent noise levels (LAeq) or Single Event Level (SEL), which have limitations. This article presents the results of a study on tram noise annoyance in the context of different acoustic measures proposing a different approach to assessing traffic noise in the city. The main objective of the study was to understand how different noise measures may differ in assessing noise annoyance. The study was based on an analysis of 173 tram passages. The results show significant variation in noise ratings based on different measures. It was noted that the highest number of exceedances of the limits (15.0%) was identified by the Annoyance Index model and Articulation Index, while the least was identified by the currently used SEL measure (8.1%). The results suggest that high SEL values are not always directly correlated with the perception of sound as loud or unpleasant. Such an approach can contribute to a better understanding and management of urban noise, which in turn can lead to improved quality of life for residents.