5.3.1 Proposed Abatement Measures
Traffic
Reduction measures related to traffic are mainly non-technical, meaning that they
involve a change of the traffic flows more than a change in the emission standards.
The main actions that were analysed are:
• The introduction of a low emission zone (LEZ) extended to the entire capital
region or only the inner part of Brussels municipality. Two possibilities were
tested: a restriction only for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDV) with emission standard prior to Euro 5; or a restriction also for passenger cars with diesel engine
before Euro 5 and gasoline before Euro 2. Emission and cost data related to
these cases were derived from a TM-Leuven (2011) study. Reduction entailed
by these plans ranged, for instance for PM2.5, between 10 and 40 % with
respect to the CLE scenario.
• Reduction of the car parking lots available in Brussels by 25,000. This measure
is assumed to reduce the number of commuters entering Brussels every day and
discourage the local inhabitants from using cars to drive to work. The estimate
of BIM/IBGE (2012) is that 140,000 commuters enter Brussels in every
weekday and 225,000 residents use their vehicle to get to work. Given that the
estimated distance travelled is about 9 km for residents and 13 km for the
others, and assuming that the reduction of parking places entails a corresponding
reduction of trips, this measure would mean a reduction of 129 M km a year
with a 1.5 % reduction of the traffic emissions.
• The implementation of mobility plans encouraging public transport for all the
sites hosting more than 1000 people and all events involving more than 1000
participants. This is assumed to equal a 3.7 % reduction of the traffic sector,
with a correspondent reduction, for instance, of 2.6 % of PM10 emissions.
• A modal shift from car to bike for commuting. This follows existent plans to
move from the current 1.9 % of commuting trips by bike to 20 % by 2018. An
English study indeed showed that each new cyclist corresponds to a 500 € gain
per year for society, mainly through the reduction of costs in health care
(Cycling England 2007). This would correspond to a further reduction of
commuting private traffic by 4.8 %.
• The introduction of a urban toll. This can be implemented according to different
schemes: a toll of 12 €/day within BCR; one of 3 €/day in the larger Brussels
Regional Express Network (RER); a price of 7 c€/km in the RER zone. The first
scheme is estimated to reduce NOx emission by 18 % with respect to CLE
2018, the second by 11 %, the third by 9 %. According to a STRATEC (2014)
study, the net present value of the costs for implementing these scheme ranges
from 250 M€ for the first two, to about 2500 M€ for the third.
• Eco-driving. To make eco-driving the standard on roads, it should be first taught
during the various formations of the road users (driving license, taxi driver
permit, training of bus and truck drivers, etc.); but we must also regularly
sensitize drivers by information and awareness tools, particularly within
90
C. Carnevale et al.
Traffic
Reduction measures related to traffic are mainly non-technical, meaning that they
involve a change of the traffic flows more than a change in the emission standards.
The main actions that were analysed are:
• The introduction of a low emission zone (LEZ) extended to the entire capital
region or only the inner part of Brussels municipality. Two possibilities were
tested: a restriction only for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDV) with emission standard prior to Euro 5; or a restriction also for passenger cars with diesel engine
before Euro 5 and gasoline before Euro 2. Emission and cost data related to
these cases were derived from a TM-Leuven (2011) study. Reduction entailed
by these plans ranged, for instance for PM2.5, between 10 and 40 % with
respect to the CLE scenario.
• Reduction of the car parking lots available in Brussels by 25,000. This measure
is assumed to reduce the number of commuters entering Brussels every day and
discourage the local inhabitants from using cars to drive to work. The estimate
of BIM/IBGE (2012) is that 140,000 commuters enter Brussels in every
weekday and 225,000 residents use their vehicle to get to work. Given that the
estimated distance travelled is about 9 km for residents and 13 km for the
others, and assuming that the reduction of parking places entails a corresponding
reduction of trips, this measure would mean a reduction of 129 M km a year
with a 1.5 % reduction of the traffic emissions.
• The implementation of mobility plans encouraging public transport for all the
sites hosting more than 1000 people and all events involving more than 1000
participants. This is assumed to equal a 3.7 % reduction of the traffic sector,
with a correspondent reduction, for instance, of 2.6 % of PM10 emissions.
• A modal shift from car to bike for commuting. This follows existent plans to
move from the current 1.9 % of commuting trips by bike to 20 % by 2018. An
English study indeed showed that each new cyclist corresponds to a 500 € gain
per year for society, mainly through the reduction of costs in health care
(Cycling England 2007). This would correspond to a further reduction of
commuting private traffic by 4.8 %.
• The introduction of a urban toll. This can be implemented according to different
schemes: a toll of 12 €/day within BCR; one of 3 €/day in the larger Brussels
Regional Express Network (RER); a price of 7 c€/km in the RER zone. The first
scheme is estimated to reduce NOx emission by 18 % with respect to CLE
2018, the second by 11 %, the third by 9 %. According to a STRATEC (2014)
study, the net present value of the costs for implementing these scheme ranges
from 250 M€ for the first two, to about 2500 M€ for the third.
• Eco-driving. To make eco-driving the standard on roads, it should be first taught
during the various formations of the road users (driving license, taxi driver
permit, training of bus and truck drivers, etc.); but we must also regularly
sensitize drivers by information and awareness tools, particularly within
90
C. Carnevale et al.