Choosing Rationale: The Paradox of Achieving Economic and Environmental Benefits by Improving an Urban Motorway

Madrid started the renovation of its inner ring road (M-30) to alleviate car pressure on local streets by conveying traffic through this orbital that surrounds the Central Business District (CBD). The project will improve ring capacity and connections with the neighborhoods. Some sections will be tunnels to avoid pollution and noise. The project costs 4 billion Euros and has big impacts on traffic. Therefore, some proposed to build a boulevard instead of improving the motorway. A new assessment methodology was applied to evaluate the two options; it includes CBA, environmental and social assessment. It shows that the project will produce positive impacts: investment costs are counterbalanced by time savings, reduction of accidents and other benefits. The rebuilt M-30 will reduce car pressure on urban streets, both in the CBD and in the city periphery. On the contrary, it will attract more cars along the M-30. The environmental assessment is also globally positive, although pollution problems will be more concentrated in the M-30 area. The results indicate that the project should be managed in coordination with other sustainable urban transport strategies: parking control, public transport facilities, pedestrianization, etc. By implementing this policy package, the expected results mean more balanced traffic patterns with less pressure on CBD.

• Corporate Authors:

  World Road Association (PIARC)

  La Grande Arche, Paroi Nord, Niveau 5
  F-92055 La Defense Cedex,   France 
• Authors:
  • Monzon, Andres
• Conference:
  • Choice for Sustainable Development. Pre-Proceedings of the 23rd PIARRC World Road Congress
  • Location: Paris , France
  • Date: 2007-9-17 to 2007-9-21
• Publication Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 9p
• Monograph Title: The Choice for Sustainable Development. Pre-Proceedings of the 23rd PIARC World Road Congress

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air quality management; Beltways; Central business districts; City planning; Crash analysis; Crash rates; Noise; Urban areas; Urban highways
• Uncontrolled Terms: Time savings
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01081110
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 26 2007 9:54AM