The Impact of Automobile Traffic on Social Life of Street Residents

Abstract

Noise, vibration and pollution caused by intensive automobile traffic not only lead to mental stress and physical suffering, but they also seem to change social life among street residents. This article analyzes the effect of traffic on social behavior and community sentiment of street residents. Major part of the data used in the study draws on interview which was taken with 400 housewives random-sampled from eight areas in Tsuchiura-city. The eight areas were chosen so as to represent different levels of traffic flow. Regression analysis was performed in order to see if there is significant correlation between traffic conditions and residents' social becavior and attitudes across these eight areas. Following are the variables used in the analysis. (1) Controlling variables ; Age, Income, Automobile-owning, and Automobileusage : (2) Traffic-conditions variables (to represent objective traffic condition and subjective evaluation of street environment by residents); Traffic-flow, Noise, Exhaust-gas, Vibration, Difficulty-in-crossing, and Difficulty-in-visiting : (3) Community variables (to represent residents' social behavior and attitudes); Outdoor-walking-hours, Neighboring, and Desire-to-settle.The result of the analysis shows that traffic interferes with residents' street crossing and makes visiting and neighboring difficult. This means that due to the traffic the residents have become less likely to visit neighbors and extend social contact. Also heavy traffic reduces residents' outdoor-walking-hours considerably, indicating that they are spending more time indoors and in cars. The consequence of this would be decrease in chances for people to meet on streets and exchange casual conversation. Moreover intensive traffic minimizes residents' desire to settle in the area, which will most possibly lead to lowering of their identity and sentiment as a member of community. In sum, the data indicate that traffic has negative effect on neighborhood cohesion and community integration. Particularly in Japanese cities where streets have played a special role in formation of city culture, it constitutes a critical problem that traffic has deprived of residents social life on streets.