Influence of Traffic Emissions on Urban Air Quality: A Case Study of a Medium Sized City

Abstract

The road transport accounts for 73% of the CO2 emissions of transport sector in EU and constitutes one of the main sources of pollution and negative environmental implications. In the dynamic environment of urban areas, traffic flows are still a challenge since they apply substantial influence on the related generated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions affecting air quality and health impacts on citizens. This study quantifies the environmental effect of traffic flows using the case of Amfissa, a medium sized city in Greece. The aim of this paper is to measure the environmental impacts of traffic flows on the city’s central road network in terms of emissions and air quality. On-site measurements are conducted to compare the environmental effects of “normal traffic” with “zero traffic” flows in the city center. The findings reveal that GHG emissions resulting from traffic flows are significant even for medium-sized cities. As such, zero or limited traffic zones, where no or limited private vehicles are permitted, could be a possible measure for CO2-free cities deploying more sustainable and ecological ways of transport in the city center (i.e. electric vehicles, R-vehicles, etc.). The results are analyzed in the context of Amfissa’s urban sustainable plans and current debates surrounding the pedestrianization actions in the city center and the challenge of reconciling environmental sustainability with urban and traffic growth.