Historically, pavement engineers have strived to balance safety and driver comfort when designing long-lasting concrete pavements. In recent years, tire/pavement noise has become a hot-button issue for motorists and residents living near high-volume roadways alike. In the past, this was a dilemma, since many of the more aggressive concrete surfaces that provided the best traction and safe driving also brought the unintended consequence of increased tire/pavement noise. Times have changed. With a new Next Generation Concrete Surface (NGCS), the I-394 rehab project in Minneapolis demonstrates departments of transportation now can have both.