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The use of emission modeling in determining environmental impact of traffic restrictions

Catalin Popescu, Petroleum and Gas University, Ploiesti, Romania, catalin_nicolae@yahoo.com Augustin Mitu, Petroleum and Gas University, Ploiesti, Romania, augustin@amit.ro Daniela Uta, Petroleum and Gas University, Ploiesti, Romania, daniela.uta@gmail.com ean!Marie "oussier, #$G%$ and &'( University, &a Rochelle )*rance+, ,ean! marie.-oussier@univ!lr..r &umini/a $on!"oussier, #$G%$, &a Rochelle )*rance+, luminita.ion@eigsi..r
Abstract The partnership between La Rochelle, Preston and Ploieti, made possible the development of a project called SUCCESS (Smaller Urban Comm nities in Civitas for Environmentall! S stainable Sol tions"# The local demonstrations incl de the implementation of different projects for vehicles with biodiesel en$ine, havin$ as base a variet! of initiatives which incl de access control areas, inte$rated price s!stems, alternative transport modes, real time informational s!stems and new concepts re$ardin$ fri$ht transport at cit! level# %n order to determine environmental impact of the project, especiall! considerin$ traffic restrictions, the emission modelin$ was sed&&## 1. Introduction Romania .allo0s the trend set out -y the #uropean Community, in improving air 1uality and city mo-ility, -y encouraging alternative transport modes and Pu-lic 2ransport instead o. sel. car use. Ploiesti City 3all, in the spirit o. sustaina-le development, promotes and sustains the design and implementation o. pedestrian areas 0ithin the city. 2he #uropean pro,ect C$4$2A% 5 %UCC#%% $$ came as an ans0er to the Municipality e..orts in moderni6ation o. Ploiesti Central Area. 2he reconsideration o. Ploiesti 5 a medium si6e Romanian city 5 central space represents a priority in the political local agenda, as 0ell as one o. the ma,or o-,ective .allo0ed -y Ploiesti partnership in C$4$2A% 5 %UCC#%% $$ european pro,ect, allong &a Rochelle, *rance and Preston, United 7ingdom. 2he C$4$2A% 5 %UCC#%% $$ pro,ect aimed to implement various measures, grouped in 0or8 pac8ages, that 0ill improve use o. alternative transport modes, citi6ens mo-ility and air 1uality. C$4$2A% $$ speci.ically calls .or the use o. technologies, 0hich are developed -ut not yet mainstream and the .ocus is on short9medium term alternatives, i.e. innovative -io!.uels and natural gas, including hy-rid vehicles that use these .uels. #nergy and pollution pro-lems 0ill not -e solved -y vehicle technology alone, e:cept possi-ly in the very distant .uture. Moreover, such technical ;.i:es< 0ill do nothing to alleviate the pro-lem o. congestion. =hat is clearly re1uired is an integrated approach involving innovative vehicle technologies, measures to manage transport demand, and measures to reduce travel demands through the sensitive integration o. land use and transport planning policies( . Gro0th in car o0nership and mo-ility has traditionally -een associated 0ith economic gro0th, -ecause the purchase and use o. a car )or a second car+ is a prior activity .or most people as incomes rise. "ut the gro0th in mo-ility associated 0ith such continual increases in car o0nership is no0 0idely accepted as -eing unsustaina-le. $n the less 0ell!developed regions o. the #U, another challenge e:ists that is similar to that .aced -y cities in Central and #astern #urope. 2he challenge is ho0 to regenerate the economy 0ithout e:periencing the 8ind o. e:plosive gro0th in tra..ic that has caused the pro-lems in the more developed regions. $n other 0ords, the challenge is to decouple economic gro0th and tra..ic gro0th.

Proceedings o. the con.erence ;"il-ao >???, the Challenge .or Cities in the >(st century@ 2ransport, #nergy and %ustaina-le Development<, Con.erence %tatement -y the cities.

2hrough C$4$2A% 5 %UCC#%% $$ pro,ect, it 0as proposed .or all tree city involved to develop a set o. measures concerning access management at city level. 2he main, set out, o-,ectives o. the pro,ect, .or these measures 0ere@ De.ine the -est practice .or implementing access controlled 6ones Minimi6e pollution impacts )reduce pollution due to vehicle emissions in to0n, decrease noise, -etter en.orce tra..ic regulations+ Develop user .riendliness o. the ur-an )highlight the historical inheritance, support local trade, improve access and sa.ety in the city, 0or8 0ith property developers to integrate their proposals into the pro,ect+ Measures 0ere already implemented and they consisted in@ the integration o. ne0 or larger strolling 6ones in each city. $n &a Rochelle, (' 8m> 0ere implemented in ' ne0 6ones in di..erent locations in the city. $n Preston and Ploiesti ne0 6ones 0ere identi.ied and installed. All these demonstrations -rought to a large panel o. data on the -ene.its, advantages and lead to recommendations .or implementing such 6ones in medium si6ed to0ns the design and the implementation o. ne0 tra..ic regulation rules and hierarchy. the implementation o. a speci.ic access control .or tourist -uses in &a Rochelle in order to ma8e them avoid the city centre. 2. Ploiesti case study???? $n Ploiesti, -y implementation o. the access controlled 6one, it 0as desired to@

Create a .riendly environment .or pedestrians so they could move .reely and sa.e in the city centreA Create the opportunity )spaces+ .or more city inha-itants, to 0al8 instead o. using the car.

$n trans.orming Ploiesti central area several actions 0ere underta8en@ ! creating ne0 -ands and par8ing spaces at the limit o. access controlled 6one ! the access controlled 6one 0as appropriately signali6ed and lighted. Bo0, the strolling 6one includes a ne0 and elegant artesian .ountain 0ith lightening devices castrated in pavement. 2his .ountain 0as specially designed so that during the access hour .or supply vehicles, the .ountain can -e stopped and vehicles run over it. 2he access controlled 6one is (,> 7m>, -ordered -y the .allo0ing streets@ Repu-licii "oulevard, %te.an Greceanu %treet, Gheorghe &a6ar %treet, and, in its northern side, a par8ing space, 0ith access .rom the -oulevard and Romana %treet. G.D. Gherea %treet is the only street 0ith car access that pases through the access controlled 6one. Mihail 7o8alniceanu is the street closed once the access controlled 6one 0as implemented 2he control o. access in the area is reali6ed -y@ ! "ollards 5 on Romana and Unirii %treet ! "arriers actioned -y magnetic access cards ! Routing signs, according to Romanian legislation, speci.ying the 0eight limit and hours o. access etc. 2he -ollards and -arriers are set at the entering and e:it points o. access controlled area.

2he permanent circulation in the area is permitted only .or -icyclists and pedestrians, 0ith the o-ligation to respect ruttier signs. 2he ma:imum accepted velocity o. a -icycle is C 8m9hour. 2he -icyclist is considered responsi-le in accidents 0ith pedestrians. Roules for vehicles: ! Dnly authori6ed vehicles have access in the areaA ! Autori6ed vehicles should present at the entrance in the area a valid passA ! 2he access passes are issued -y City 3allA ! All vehicles, e:cept the ones .or emergency situations, must respect the access and par8ing hours. Authori e vehicles are: ! 4ehicles .or emergency situation li8e@ am-ulance, .ire.ighters, civil protection, police and o..icial delegationsA ! %upply vehiclesA ! 4ehicles o. pu-lic services suppliersA ! 4ehicles involved in o..icial activities or events organi6ed in the access controlled 6one *or the economic agents 0ith activity in the access controlled 6one, the access 0ill -e only in the inside par8ing spaces, and o-ligatorily respecting the access and par8ing hours. Any

other vehicle e:cept the emergency vehicles is allo0ed only 0ith special approval o., and access cards .rom the City 3all. $n order to determine the measureEs impact, there 0ere considered F categories o. indicators@ economic, social, transport and environment. 2he present paper proposes to analy6e the environmental impact o. tra..ic regulation imposed -y the creation o. access controlled area. =hen considering the environmental impact o. measure 0e need to e:clude all other pollution .actors, especial the industrial one. Measurements, in the city centre, sho0ed variation -et0een >??C and >??G )pro,ect C$4$2A% 5 %UCC#%% li.etime+ -ut can not determine e:actly the percentage o. pollution reduction do to the ne0 tra..ic regulations. 2his is 0hy, actual measurements, in the city centre can -e considered concluding and a more in depth approach is needed. Modeling emissions 0as the ne:t o-vious step in determine the impact o. tra..ic restrictions in the access controlled area on air 1uality. $n order to determine the emission level, tra..ic measurements 0ere made in >??C and >??G. 2he monitored street 0ere the ones limiting the access controlled 6one, considering as 0ell

the old tra..ic in no0 closed Mihail 7o8alniceanu %treet and the num-er o. cars 0ith daily access in the access controlled 6one. Table 1.1 Traffic level for the surrounding access controlled area Average Average vehicle vehicle !treets number number "ehicles#hour "ehicles#hour $une 2%%& 'arch 2%%( G.D. Gherea HIG ''G

Area 2he only street passing through the clear area 2he southern street limiting the area 2he northern street limiting the area

Gheorghe &a6ar

(>IG

IF?

2he east H'F (C>F side o. clear area ((( 2he 0est Repu-licii (I>' (GG? side o. the "oulevard clear area 2otal num-er o. cars C?>F FFG> passing in the surrounding o. access controlled area 2he num-er o. vehicles decreased .or G.D. Gherea %treet decreased -ecause the street have -een reorgani6ed and instead o. an e:tra -and, there 0ere -uild side0ays par8ing spaces. Considering the sur.ace o. access controlled 6one, 0e can estimate the length o. each road -ordering the area as -eing o. ( 8m. Average velocity@ References J(K %UCC#%% Pro,ect, Technical 'nne(es, )escription of wor*, *e-ruary >??C J>K Ploiesti &ocal Council Decision num-er (>L9 H March >??I

%treet closed and trans.ormed, -e.ore C$4$2A% in Par8ing %pace %t. Greceanu

Par8ing space

Bo tra..ic

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