GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Part of Avenue de France and the Quai de Mont Blanc will soon be quieter thanks to new noise-reduction pavement. The city will keep the streets open to car traffic during the road works 17-27 August, but cycling lanes and parking places will disappear for a few days.

The Tribune de Genève carries a long article about the benefits of the new system, already in use in other parts of the canton. The new roads use a material that is porous, with the holes absorbing much of the noise.