Pollution and traffic in Cuneo

POLLUTION AND TRAFFIC IN CUNEO

Pollution is a worrying issue for our town: car fumes increase pollution and mainly particles (dust, fumes, liquid substances) which are noxious to health depending on their size and to their ability to reach different parts of the respiratory system. According to the European legislation the limit of 50  / m3 mustn’t be exceeded more than 35 times/a year (7 times/a year as from 2010).

In 2007 In Cuneo the limit was surpassed 47 times, and 40 times in 2008.

That’s why a decision was made to go ahead with the Speed 30 zone; as a result there will be a decrease in pollutants between 10-30% because fumes (such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides) are proportional to the acceleration of a vehicle which, in speed 30 Zones, occurs in smaller quantities and intensity. The vehicles will have a more constant speed and will need less energy for the displacement.

Another important aspect is that noise will be reduced by from 3 to 4 decibels, that is a 50% reduction.

(Sara Garnero)

THE SPEED 30 ZONE IN CUNEO

The new project which is being developed in Cuneo stems from the experience of other European countries, where the introduction of zones with a speed limit of 30 km/hour has resulted the most effective strategy to make urban circulation safer because its main aim is to protect the road users. The first example of traffic regulation was introduced in England in 1966: it was the so-called shared space: some streets were closed at the end and the entire surface was devoted to the mixed circulation of pedestrians, bikers and cars. In the 70s it was the turn of Holland and the city of Delft where the inhabitants were exasperated by the high number of car accidents. The town of Chambery in France set the first traffic limits in 1977 with a slogan “CONVINCE AND OBLIGE”. The results were surprising: between 1979 and 2002 the number of car accidents fell from 453 to 53 and the number of injured and deaths fell from 590 to 65.

(Sofia and Lucia)