The ENVIBASE-Project

Documentation / Online Handbook

Traffic

In all urban areas, with the modernisation and reduction of industries, traffic has become the main cause for air pollution. Both in Winter (smog) as in summer (ozone) pollution is present. In all cities the main effort is to control and monitor the pollution level trough a wide network of measurement stations for a real time representation (AURORA and NEBULA, Milan, BLUME, Berlin) and even forecast (ATMOSFERA, Rome) in order to activate traffic reduction measurements.

Therefore the main maps show the pollution levels for different pollutants (NO, ozone, CO, Benzene) not only along the principal roads but also represented in isolines (see also the contributions on Air). But controlling and reducing the air pollution from traffic is mainly a political decision on national and European wide scale, so that for now the most important achievement is a better informed public.

Very important for urban planning are data and maps on traffic volumes and noise impact, as here local actions such as speed reduction, green noise barriers and route planning can be more easily adapted.

Indications for the most commonly produced and important maps/results for an Environmental Information System

• Traffic volumes
• Traffic emissions (different parameters)
• Noise impact
• Traffic noise in green and public open spaces; this map, realised in Berlin, has shown to be an important instrument for the planners in order to increase quality of life in urban areas, as green spaces are the most sensitive to disturbance because of the lack of noise barriers (e.g. buildings) and the expectation of the park users for a quiet place to rest and relax.