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Chapter 4 Environmental Setting, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures J. Noise Project Generated Traffic. Traffic volumes would increase with the development of the project as a result of people accessing project facilities and increased traffic as a result of the development of the roadway system through the Plan area. Based on EXISTING and EXI5TING+APPROVED+PROJECT traffic volumes supplied by Dowling Associates, Inc., the only significant traffic noise increases resulting from project-generated traffic would be along the proposed roadway extension (discussed below). Project generated traffic is calculated to increase noise levels by 1 to 2 dB along Meadowlark Drive, south of Bernal Drive, resulting in traffic noise levels of about 57 dBA Ldn (based on traffic noise modeling) at a distance of 50 feet from the center of the roadway. This increase would not be considered significant. Traffic noise levels along the remaining streets in the vicinity of the project are not calculated to measurably increase as a result of project generated traffic. In addition to project generated noise increases along the existing roadway sections, the project would extend Pleasanton Avenue from Laguna Creek Lane through to Bernal Avenue. There are no existing noise sensitive uses along the new section of the Pleasanton Avenue Extension. Based on CUMULATIVE+PRO)ECT traffic volumes supplied by Dowling Associates, Inc., traffic along the Pleasanton Avenue Extension is calculated to generate noise levels of about 65 dBA Ldn at a distance of 50 feet from the center of the roadway. These noise levels would be considered "normally acceptable" with the proposed land uses (see Excess Noise Levels). Cumulative Traffic. Traffic volumes and the associated noise levels would increase over time in the area with the development of the Pleasanton General Plan. Some of these increases would be considered significant (greater than 3 dBA). However, based on EXISTING, CUMULATIVE, and CUMULATIVE+PRO)ECT traffic volumes supplied by Dowling Asso- ciates, Inc., the project would not measurably add to significant cumulative traffic noise increases except along the roadway extensions of Valley Avenue and the Pleasanton Avenue Extension (as discussed previously). Lighted Sports Fields. Various sports and recreation areas are proposed for sub-area 2. In addition, the ballpark area and the potential outdoor amphitheater would include lights, which would allow nighttime activities and events in these areas. Noise would be generated primarily from vehicular traffic (discussed previously), small crowd game cheering, and amplified announcements or events. The location of these areas in the center of the site would provide noise attenuation from outdoor recreational activities to the residential uses to the west. The Initial Study and Negative Declaration for the Bernal baseball fields found that noise created by cheering at baseball games would be adequately reduced by the more that 800-foot open space buffer between the fields and the nearest residential neighborhood. Amplified sound for announcing ball games is planned to consist of temporary tabletop systems, until potentially more permanent facilities can be provided in future phases of the Bernal Community Park. Amplified sound would be directed downward toward the viewing terraces and infields only. Given the existing traffic noise levels in the area and the site's proximity to 1-680 and Bernal Avenue, and given the distance that the outdoor playing fields are located away from the nearest housing, the increase in noise levels would be insignificant. For additional background information please refer to the Phase I Bernal EIR. 109