September Noise Monitoring Report for Basel

November 1, 2026

In September 2026, Feldbergstrasse station recorded an average noise level of 68.7 dB and a maximum of 93.2 dB, which is broadly consistent with typical September levels since 2020, apart from likely anomalous low readings in 2023 and 2024. The noisiest period was midday to early afternoon, while the quietest was shortly after midnight.

Photo: Chairul Fajar, Man closing his ears, on Unsplash.com, licensed under Unsplash License.

In September 2026, the Feldbergstrasse station recorded an average noise level of 68.7 dB and a maximum of 93.2 dB. The highest measured value in the month occurred on 24 September 2026 between 15:00 and 17:59, reaching 90.8 dB. The average level of 68.7 dB is close to the range of 70–80 dB, which is generally considered very loud and comparable to street traffic heard from nearby.

Looking at historical data for the same month since 2020, the average at Feldbergstrasse has fluctuated between 66.2 dB and 71.7 dB, with the exception of 2023 and 2024, when the reported average was only 24.1 dB. Those two years show identical average, maximum, and 95th percentile values, which suggests a possible data collection or reporting anomaly rather than a genuine drop in noise. The September 2026 average of 68.7 dB is therefore broadly in line with the typical range seen in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2025. The maximum of 93.2 dB in September 2026 is slightly higher than the maxima recorded in earlier years, which ranged from 88.4 dB to 90.8 dB, but the difference is not dramatic.

At Feldbergstrasse, the highest noise level ever recorded since 2020 is 93.2 dB, which occurred in September 2026. The all-time lowest noise level at the station is 24.1 dB, recorded in September 2023 and September 2024, though as noted this value appears in both years and may reflect a measurement issue. The quietest time of day in September 2026 was between 00:00 and 02:59, with an average of 61.4 dB and a maximum of 67.7 dB. The noisiest time of day was between 12:00 and 14:59, with an average of 70.7 dB and a maximum of 88.6 dB.

The decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning that an increase of 10 dB corresponds to a tenfold increase in sound intensity. For context, a quiet room is around 30 dB, normal conversation is about 50–60 dB, and nearby street traffic can reach 70–80 dB.

For readers interested in more details on noise monitoring, additional sources are available from the responsible environmental or municipal noise monitoring authorities.


Table 1: Day and Night Noise Levesl in September at Feldbergstrasse
Year Day Average [dB] Day Maximum [dB] Night Average [dB] Night Maximum [dB]
2020 71.6 88.4 68.2 88.3
2021 67.9 89.1 63.5 87.6
2022 73.1 89.3 69.7 87.0
2023 24.1 24.1 24.1 24.1
2024 24.1 24.1 24.1 24.1
2025 70.6 89.9 68.0 87.1
2026 70.1 90.8 66.7 89.5

Figure 1: Average Noise Level by Time of Day in September at Station Feldbergstrasse (last 5 Years)

Data source: opendata.bs.ch, Smart Climate Schallpegelmessungen
Additional resources: Smart Climate - Projektabschluss, BAFU.admin.ch: Grenzwerte für Lärm

🤖 This text was generated with the assistance of AI. All quantitative statements are derived directly from the dataset listed under Data Source.