May Noise Monitoring Report for Basel
July 1, 2026In May 2026, the average noise level at Feldbergstrasse station was 68.7 dB, just below the 70–80 dB range considered very loud, while the maximum recorded level of 93.2 dB was the highest ever at that station. Historical data shows that the average noise at Feldbergstrasse has decreased compared to 2022 and 2023, but the maximum noise level increased, and at Grenzacherstrasse the average was 63.2 dB with a record high maximum of 90.5 dB.
In May 2026, the average noise level at the Feldbergstrasse station was 68.7 dB, with a maximum recorded level of 93.2 dB. The highest noise level at this station occurred on May 22, 2026, between 12:00 and 14:59, reaching 92.4 dB. The stations from which there are measured values in May 2026 are Feldbergstrasse and Grenzacherstrasse. Since an average noise level of 68.7 dB falls just below the 70–80 dB range, it is not considered very loud, though it is close to that threshold.
Looking at historical data since 2020, the average noise level at Feldbergstrasse in May has fluctuated. In 2023, the average was 72.7 dB, and in 2022 it was 71.0 dB, both higher than the 68.7 dB recorded in May 2026. The maximum noise level in May 2026, 93.2 dB, is also higher than the maxima recorded in 2023 (89.4 dB) and 2022 (88.5 dB). Notably, the data for 2024 and 2021 show an average of 24.1 dB, which appears to be an error or a period of no data, so these years are not comparable. At Grenzacherstrasse, the average noise level in May 2026 was 63.2 dB, which is lower than the 66.7 dB recorded in 2022 and the 67.0 dB in 2021, but higher than the 40.0 dB in 2023. The maximum noise level at Grenzacherstrasse in May 2026, 90.5 dB, is notably higher than any previous year since 2020, where the highest maximum was 82.8 dB in 2021.
The highest noise level ever recorded at Feldbergstrasse was 93.2 dB, which occurred in May 2026. The all-time lowest noise level at Feldbergstrasse is not directly provided in the data, but the lowest average noise level by time of day in May 2026 was 61.8 dB, recorded between 00:00 and 02:59. For context, the decibel (dB) scale is logarithmic, meaning a 10 dB increase corresponds to a 10-fold increase in sound intensity. A quiet room is around 30 dB, normal conversation is around 50–60 dB, and street traffic from close by can reach 70–80 dB.
For readers interested in more details on noise monitoring, additional sources are available from the city's environmental monitoring department and the national noise observation network.
Table 1: Day and Night Noise Levesl in May at Feldbergstrasse
| Year | Day Average [dB] | Day Maximum [dB] | Night Average [dB] | Night Maximum [dB] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 24.1 | 24.1 | 24.1 | 24.1 |
| 2022 | 72.1 | 88.0 | 69.4 | 88.5 |
| 2023 | 73.9 | 87.6 | 70.9 | 89.4 |
| 2024 | 24.1 | 24.1 | 24.1 | 24.1 |
| 2025 | 70.0 | 89.4 | 68.6 | 90.6 |
| 2026 | 70.7 | 92.4 | 67.9 | 90.4 |
Figure 1: Average Noise Level by Time of Day in May at Station Feldbergstrasse (last 5 Years)
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.