scholarly journals Behavioural changes in urban mobility in Barcelona due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinna Peters

This study assesses changes in mobility behaviour in the City of Barcelona due the COVID‐19pandemic and its impact on air pollution and GHG emissions. Urban transport is an important sourceof global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Improving urban mobility patterns is therefore crucial formitigating climate change. This study combines quantitative survey data and official governmentdata with in‐depth interviews with public administration officials of the City. Data illustrates thatBarcelona has experienced an unprecedented reduction in mobility during the lockdown (a 90%drop) and mobility remained at comparatively low levels throughout the year 2020. Most remarkableis the decrease in the use of public transport in 2020 compared to pre‐pandemic levels, whereas roadtraffic has decreased to a lesser extent and cycling surged at times to levels up to 60% higher thanpre‐pandemic levels. These changes in mobility have led to a radical and historic reduction in airpollution, with NO2 and PM10 concentration complying with WHO guidelines in 2020. Reductions inGHG emissions for Barcelona’s transport sector are estimated at almost 250.000 t CO2eq in 2020 (7%of the City’s overall annual emissions). The study derives policy implications aimed at achieving along‐term shift towards climate‐friendlier, low‐emission transport in Barcelona, namely how torecover lost demand in public transport and seize the opportunity that the crisis brings for reform byfurther reducing road traffic and establishing a 'cycling culture' in Barcelona, as already achieved inother European cities.

2014 ◽  
Vol 522-524 ◽  
pp. 1826-1830
Author(s):  
Lin Hui Zeng ◽  
Guang Ming Li

Transport sector is one of the main sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Comprehensive countermeasures are needed in cities to mitigate transport GHG emissions. After reviewing green traffic measures that implemented by Shanghai since bidding for Expo 2010, this paper analyzes the achievement that Shanghai has made in carbon mitigation. The results showed that travel demand management and the constrcution public transportation infrastructure promoted by the event played a vital role in promoting mode shift to form public transport oriented traffic system. Carbon emission intensity of Shanghais urban transport declined steadily from 1.66 kg/trip to 1.55 kg/trip. The CO2 reduction attributable to mode shifts amounted to 4.99 million tons. It demonstrated that Shanghai Expo has promoted the city in carbon emission reduction through public transport improvement, new energy vehicles innovation, car growth restriction measures and green commuting initiate.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-575
Author(s):  
Bencherif Houria ◽  
Boubakour Farès

Purpose The Algerian transport sector has undergone profound changes in recent decades with its privatization. Transport sector liberalization has achieved its primary objectives aimed at increasing public transport supply, but it has been accompanied by travel conditions deterioration because of public regulation insufficiency. For this, the Algerian State has put regulatory and institutional mechanisms to improve urban transport service quality. These mechanisms directly impose on operators and managers of transport means reception stations to meet the expectations of road users. The purpose of this study is to draw a portrait of the service quality of the Algerian urban transport. For this, a fieldwork was carried out in Batna city to know the degree of satisfaction of urban transport users toward the service offered. Design/methodology/approach In this work, the authors used questionnaires as a means of data collection. The study sample is composed of 102 users of the line. The questionnaire deals with personal data (age, sex, level of education, family and professional data), data on the nature of travel between the city of Batna and Tazoult (reasons for travel, travel time and the number of trips undertaken) and measure of user satisfaction on the Tazoult–Batna line according to the criteria of service offer, accessibility, information, duration, attention to the customer, comfort, security and environmental impact. In this work, participatory observation was also used to give a better understanding on how the urban network operates in the city. To this end, an observation grid with key questions has been prepared. It is concentrated on three axes: the actual organization of private operators providing urban bus transport, the state of buses, stations and stopping points and the practice of control by the services concerned. For this, trips were made on all urban lines during the study period. Discussions were conducted with some private operators to find out their positions and their roles in the operation of urban bus transport. Findings The results of this work show that satisfaction levels were average for transport supply, accessibility, duration, attention paid to customer, comfort and safety; however, they were low concerning information and environmental impact. The present work has made it possible to highlight the impacts of urban transport disorganization on the offered service. In addition, taking into account the expectations of users in terms of service quality should have positive impacts for the users themselves, for private and public operators and for urban transport managers. Originality/value This work presents a state of knowledge on the service quality in an urban environment and delivers information on the situation in Algeria without pretending to be exhaustive. However, the contribution of this study is not limited to the evaluation of the various criteria themselves, which are found in whole or in part in many studies devoted to this kind of evaluations. The real contribution of this work lies in highlighting the impacts of urban transport disorganization on the offered services quality. This disorganization is essentially characterized by a weakness or absence of an institutional framework and the multiplication of actors at different levels of intervention, which creates overlapping responsibilities or organizational gaps.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-141
Author(s):  
Porfirenko V ◽  
◽  
Polosukhin D ◽  

The article analyzes congestion of the urban transport network in Kyiv and its impact on air pollution in the city and suggests ways to solve problems that occur because of it. The object of the study is public transport, specifically electric buses. The purpose of the work is to propose an innovative approach to the use of electric buses using analysis of air pollution indicators, the traffic index of urban congestion and the non-stationarity of the passenger flow. Research methods are generally scientific. The city of Kyiv ranks number 7 in the world in terms of traffic congestion and the amount of added time that people spend due to congestion. The transport network overload leads not only to congestion, but also to air pollution in the city. The authors of the article analyze the air pollution and the state of congestion on the roads of Kyiv. In order to improve the current situation in the city, the concept of modular use of electric buses is proposed, which envisions production of electric trucks and electric trailers for passenger transportation (modules) to it. The use of electric buses reduces environmental pollution, but does not solve the problem of congestion in megapolises. The solution to the problem must use comprehensive approach. The authors came to conclusion that it is not possible to significantly influence the non-stationary flow of passengers, but it is possible to release a fleet with different passenger capacity at different times of the day. During rush hours the proposal is to limit the total number of cars and release an electric bus with the module of the largest capacity, in the late evening and at night release fleet with modules designed for a small number of passengers, in other hours release electric buses with a medium capacity module. The modular principle of formation of electric bus routes will optimize the general expenses for transportation and will take into consideration seasonal, weekly and daily non-stationary flow of passengers. Development of this modular electric vehicles will be the task for automotive industry. KEY WORDS: ELECTRIC BUS, MEGAPOLIS, ECOLOGY, PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION, BUS TRANSPORTATION, MODULAR PRINCIPLE, MANAGEMENT.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 244-253
Author(s):  
G. S. Chibukhchyan

The problems of improving the quality of public urban transport services, environmental protection, and public health in large cities and megacities have taken the leading place among the issues on the agenda of public administration bodies, as well as of non-governmental and international organisations.This context determined the study on the significance, modern conditions, problems, and development outlook regarding the urban public transport in Yerevan.Important part of the population of the Republic of Armenia lives in the city of Yerevan. Main economic activity of the Republic, as well as urban and private transport facilities are most concentrated in the capital city. The total number of vehicles circulating in the city on working days exceeds 300 thousand units.Urban public transport of Yerevan plays an important role in ensuring the normal life of residents and guests of the city. At the same time, several serious socio-economic problems are associated with transport, which are aggravating while the economy develops and the volume of cargo, passenger transportation and motorization of the city grows. Such problems, first, include the growth of the number of road traffic accidents, then, serious environmental degradation in the areas adjacent to the highways and in other districts of the city.In recent years, it has become obvious that the solution to those problems goes beyond the competence and responsibility of the city hall or of any single ministry and requires focusing the efforts of the number of government bodies and of the public at large.The objective of the study is to identify the main factors affecting the efficiency and safety of urban public transportation, as well as the impact of road traffic on the environment in Yerevan.Their identification will improve the quality of transport services and transportation safety, as well as reliability of vehicles and of their service properties, reduce their environmental impact, and develop a unified integrated effective and viable system of measures towards a comprehensive and effective solution of transport problems of public urban transport. 


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (35) ◽  
pp. 190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dindji Médé Roger ◽  
Diabagaté Abou ◽  
Houenenou Kouadio Dénis ◽  
Brou Émile Koffi

In this article we propose to assess the impact of the taxi motorcycle phenomenon on the functional organization of taxi-cities or taxicars in Korhogo; City in the North of the Ivory Coast. Taking advantage of the temporary banning of taxi-cities at the outbreak of the political-military crisis of 19 September 2002, these two-wheeled vehicles were able to find a place in public transport in Korhogo. Thus obliging the taxi-cities; previously only offering urban mobility, to find strategies of "reconquest". This reflection reveals that the number of taxi-cities has increased from 480 to 86 today. Their receipts have also increased from 11,500 to 6,500 CFA francs per day. In front of the "ground" entirely invested /occupied by taximotorbikes, taxi-cars had to create lines of services distributed on four stations in the city. The merit of this article is to focus on public transport in ivorian secondary cities. In order to do this, the method used is based on observations and land surveys conducted with actors involved in the management of urban transport in three Ivorian secondary cities: Korhogo, Bouaké and Ferkessédougou.


2021 ◽  
pp. 127591
Author(s):  
Andreas Gassner ◽  
Jakob Lederer ◽  
Gerald Kovacic ◽  
Ursula Mollay ◽  
Christof Schremmer ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Arjun Rajeevkumar Bhele ◽  
Dr. Sujesh D. Ghodmare

Planners are now trying to provide greener travel solutions to reduce fiscal, social, and environmental issues. This research, therefore, seeks to find significant reasons for urban transport to enhance the use of alternative transportation modes. This report seeks to establish the connection between influential metrics for urban mobility and regular travel trips from different parts of the world. Deployment of excellent non-motorized transport facilities for Walking and cycling is a good way to encourage the use of bicycles, thereby increasing the physical fitness of end-users. Past studies were thoroughly reviewed and found to be applicable for analysis and application in the real world. Anova's regression analysis is distinguished by a more comprehensive interpretation of the findings. At Rajkamal Intersection, Amravati district, Maharashtra the traffic volume counts were carried out. It is the focus of the transport congestion, which leads to a polluted atmosphere due to prolonged duration at the signals. In this research, it can be seen that with the use of Motorized transport the traffic density & air pollution will increase with time, and with the increase in the use of Non-Motorized transport, the traffic density decreases also the air pollution is at a steady pace. The current study shows the necessity, favourable conditions, and economic benefits of non-motorized sustainable traffic, in the Indian condition.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meryl Jagarnath ◽  
Tirusha Thambiran

Because current emissions accounting approaches focus on an entire city, cities are often considered to be large emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with no attention to the variation within them. This makes it more difficult to identify climate change mitigation strategies that can simultaneously reduce emissions and address place-specific development challenges. In response to this gap, a bottom-up emissions inventory study was undertaken to identify high emission zones and development goals for the Durban metropolitan area (eThekwini Municipality). The study is the first attempt at creating a spatially disaggregated emissions inventory for key sectors in Durban. The results indicate that particular groups and economic activities are responsible for more emissions, and socio-spatial development and emission inequalities are found both within the city and within the high emission zone. This is valuable information for the municipality in tailoring mitigation efforts to reduce emissions and address development gaps for low-carbon spatial planning whilst contributing to objectives for social justice.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelrahman Muhsen ◽  
Abu Toasin Oakil

The transport sector has always had high energy demand and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change. To improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions, Riyadh is introducing an integrated public transport system. Per capita energy consumption is much lower for public transport than for private vehicles, such as cars and taxis. This study investigates the potential impact of Riyadh’s proposed public transport system on car and taxi trips.


Earth ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 731-745
Author(s):  
Madan B. Regmi

Asia is one of the continents that is the most affected by the impacts of climate change. Asian countries need to take climate actions and mitigate emissions from the urban passenger transport sector. Despite some progress in improving urban mobility in Asian cities, greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector continue to rise. Policy makers who are responsible for managing mobilities must play a major role in decarbonizing the transport sector. In this context, this paper reviews the efforts of selected Asian countries and cities towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the urban transport sector. It will analyze their pledges in the Nationally Determined Contributions submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and will review their relevant transport sector strategies, policies, and practices. It will also look at trends in transport sector emissions and air pollution in different cities, including the short-term impacts of COVID-19. Lastly, it reviews governance issues and the roles that institutions should play to implement polices to decarbonize transport. Based on this analysis, this paper offers policy suggestions to accelerate actions, enhance cross-sectoral coordination, and move towards carbon neutrality in the transport sector in Asia.


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