Barcelona's Major Traffic Systems and Corridors

7/31/2019 Barcelona's Major Traffic Systems and Corridors

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BARCELONASMAJORTRAFFICSYSTEMSAND

CORRIDORS

FINALREPORTFORTHEREGIONALANDURBANMANAGEMENTMODULE

STUDENT:FEDERICOWERNER

(MATR.NR.11081386;EMAIL:[email protected])

JANUARY12TH

,2012


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2BARCELONASTRAFFICSYSTEMSANDCORRIDORS

TABLEOFCONTENTS

1.INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 3

2.THEPUBLICSPACEANDTHEROADNETWORKASTHETRANSPORTATIONBASIS:HISTORICCONTEXT.........

4

2.1.Barcelonasorigins...................................................................................................................................4

2.2.LEixample................................................................................................................................................5

2.3.ThecityexpansionbeyondLEixample....................................................................................................6

3.PRESENTDEMANDOFTRANSPORTATION................................................................................ 7

4.PRESENTOFFEROFTRANSPORTATION.................................................................................... 9

4.1.Nomotorizedtransportation................................................................................................................10

4.2.Transportationinmotorizedprivateownedvehicles...........................................................................11

4.3.Transportationinmasstransitsystems.................................................................................................13

5.THEMETROAREAANDCORRIDORS...................................................................................... 18

6.ENVIRONMENTALEXTERNALITIES........................................................................................ 20

6.1.Pollution................................................................................................................................................20

6.2.EnergyefficiencyandCO2emissions.....................................................................................................21

6.3.Noise......................................................................................................................................................21

6.4.Security..................................................................................................................................................22

7.FROMTHEFIELD:OBSERVATIONS AFTERVISITINGTHECITY........................................................ 22

8.CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................................ 26

9.CITEDLITERATURE........................................................................................................... 27

Note:duetothelayoutandformofpresentationofthisreport,somemapswerereducedinqualityinorder

tofitintoit;yettheystillprovideusefulinformationforinterpretationpurposes.Mapsinoriginalqualityare

availableuponrequest.


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1.INTRODUCTION

Transportation isaconsequenceoftheexistenceofspace:resourcesaredistributedheterogeneously ina

threedimensionworld.Havingevolved inthiscontext,movingaround ispartofhumannatureandwayof

life, composed of a myriad of inevitable activities that would almost impossibly be located at the same

location.Eventheactionitselfofmovingaroundmaybeforsomeindividualsanimportantpartofeveryday

life,and

the

impossibility

of

moving

is

actually

apunishment

such

as

that

imposed

to

imprisoned

convicted.

Thenecessitiesandmethodsof transportationhavechangeddrasticallyalonghumanhistory, in linewith

the cultural and technological evolution. This works is focused in the contemporary situation in urban

locations,specificallyforthecaseofBarcelonaCity.

Barcelona isthesecond largestcity inSpain,withmore than1,6million inhabitantsdistributed inaplain

area(thePla)ofaround100km2, limitedbytheMediterraneancoastandtheCollserolaMountainsand

theBessandLlobregatrivers(Fig.1)(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2004). Further3,2millioninhabitantslive

inthemetropolitansuburbs,whichextendovermorethan600km2.Barcelonesessumupalmost6,5million

daily travelsaround thecity, fromwhichmore thanahalfare solvedbynomotorized transportsystems

(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2011).

Figure1:GeomorphologiccontextofBarcelonacity:aviewofthePlaarea.Behind lies theMediterraneanSea (Ajuntamentde

Barcelona,2004).

TheoutstandingcharacteristicofBarcelonacityis,inthecontextofthisstudy,itsorganizationoftheurban

space.That iswhatdefinesnotonly theavailability of space for transportation,butalso thedensityand

distributionofpopulationandeconomicactivitieswhicharethesourceoftransportationdemand.

InitiatedwithIldefonsoCerdsplanofreformandextensionLEixample,Barcelonasurbanplanninghas

sincethen

implemented

innovative

and

proactive

solutions

to

citys

problems.

The subsequent growth of the city during the 20th

century unleashed metropolisation, which due to the

specificgeomorphologicalconditionsgeneratedurbancorridors.


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2.THEPUBLICSPACEANDTHEROADNETWORKASTHETRANSPORTATION

BASIS:HISTORICCONTEXT

2.1.BARCELONASORIGINS

Even though records exist of human settlement in the area of Barcelona from previous times, is the

foundationofthetownofBarcinobytheRomans(aroundyear15BC)theoldesthistoriceventfromwhich

thecitystillholdsphysicalevidenceintheformofurbanstructure.

Sincethen,throughthemiddleagesanduntilbeforethe industrialrevolution,thecityconfrontedseveral

historicchangesandevents,yet itsextensiongrew little.Atthebeginningofthe industrialrevolution,the

citysurbanparadigmwasstillthatofmedievalcities:concentrationinsidetheprotectedcitadel.

Inthiscontext,transportationwassimpleinitsforms.Thecitywascompactforhavinganeasierdefensein

the occasions of war, but this also made transportation within more simple in times of low access to

technologyandresources.Carriageswereprobablythemostcomplexvehiclesthecityhadtoconsiderwhen

buildingroads.

The opening of trade with the Spanish colonies in America in 1778 sparkled intensive growth, fueled

afterwardsby the technicaladvancesof the industrial revolution.Bymid19th

century,wine,corkad iron

industrieswerebooming.In1848,SpainsfirstrailwaylinewasopenedbetweenBarcelonaandMatar.In

betweens,populationgrewrapidly,boostedespeciallywithmigrantsfromruralsurroundingareas.Butthe

citys residential capacitycould not keep up and the living conditionofworkingclass families decreased.

Poornutrition,badsanitationanddiseaseleadtoprotestswhichwereseverelyputdown.Somereliefcame

in1854withtheknockingdownofmedievalwallsbutthepressureremainedacute(Simonis,2010).

Theroadnetworkconsistedinthattimeofsmallstreetsandpassagesintheinnercitywithonlysomeareas

stillreflectingtheoriginalRomanlayout,andfromitsgates,anetworkofroadsleadtotheneighbouring

cities(Fig.2).


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Figure2:Detailofa1608mapofthesurroundingsofBarcelona:thePla,keptunbuiltfordefensepurposes(Barcelona,2011).

2.2.LEIXAMPLE

In1869,thecitysgovernmentcommissionedengineerIldefonsoCerdaplanfortheexpansionofthecity

totheplainslocatedindirectionoftheCollserolaMountainsandtheGrciacity.Theseplainshadremained

inhabiteduntilthenforreasonsofwarstrategy,whichhadlostitsvaliditybythattime(Borja,2009).

Cerds plan was revolutionary: he proposed a low density but extensive expansion of the city, with an

orthogonalgridcomposedofstreetsparalleltothecoastand itsperpendicularstreetscomingdownfrom

CollserolaMountains.

All the design characteristics of the plan followed three guiding theoretical foundations (Busquets &Corominas,2009):

Ensuringhealth:notonlysanitation(theurgentsolutionrequiredbythecityatthattime)butalsomentalhealthwasconsideredbyCerd,whothoughtofsunlightreceptionandaircirculationwhen

orientatingstreet layout,constructiondensityandavailabilityofgreenspaces,amongothers.The

resultingsquareblockswouldnotbebuiltupcompletely,reservingsomespaceforinnerparksand

gardensforthechildrenandelderly.Socialhealthwasalsoincludedintheanalysis,proposingthat

ahomogeneousgridofstreetswouldpreventdifferencesinlandvalueandthusclasssegregation.

Circulation:assuringthefluxofgoodsandpeoplewasakeyaspect,reasonwhyhegavegenerousdimensionstostreets.Alsoasapremonitionoftheriseofmotorizedvehicles,he includedangled

corners (chamfers), which would be necessary for preventing accidents at greater circulation

speeds.

Refurbishmentoftheexistingcity:theprinciplesguidingtherenewalplanweretoaffectalsotheoldcity.

ThePla

BarcelonaCity

MontjuicMountain

CollserolaMountains


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Figure3:MapofCerdsexpansionplan,showingtheoriginaldispositionofconstructablelandperblock(Barcelona,2011).

Besidesthebasicorthogonalstreetgrid,someothermajorroadswereproposed.Someofthemobserved

oldroadslayout,forexamplePasseigdeGrciawhichwasbuiltovertheoldroadconnectingBarcelonawith

Grcia city located some kilometers northeast. Others followed existing infrastructure (namely railway

tracks)orpretendedtoexpandtheeffectoftheplansguidingprinciplestotheoldcity,butnotallofthem

werebuilt.

Inthe

end,

the

grid

makes

up

the

basic

configuration

of

the

urban

space,

and

the

avenues

establish

its

territorialstructureandtherelationwiththemetropolitanregion.

Thestreets,20mwide,providethesamespaceforvehicletrafficastheydoforpedestrians.Thegenerous

spacefortraffichasallowedtheadaptationofdifferentmeansoftransportovertheyears, includingbus

tracks,bicycletracksandpublicparkingspace(Busquets&Corominas,2009)(alsoseeChap.7,foto3).

2.3.THECITYEXPANSIONBEYONDLEIXAMPLE

ThespacedelimitedbyLEixamplewasoccupiedatdifferentspeeds,withpeaks intheperiod18591900,

1929 and 1970 (actually, the whole process didnt finish and continues now with the refurbishment in

Poblenou).Themigrationtothecitiesphenomenaofthe20th

centurydidntoccuronlyinthecitycenterbut

alsoin

the

neighboring

localities,

of

course

with

the

synergy

of

the

central

city.

Since

1950,

the

proportion

of

Barcelonacityspopulation in themetro regionhas fallen from65% tonearly35% in2005 (Autoritatdel

TransportMetropolit,2009a).

The disposition of initial towns, plus the geomorphologic conditions of the area resulted in present

Barcelonametroregion (Fig4.),whosetransportationneedsderived intheemergenceofurbancorridors

(Seemoreinchapter5).


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Figure4:GeographicconfigurationandbasicdataonBarcelonasMetropolitanRegion(BMR)(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,

2009a).

3.PRESENTDEMANDOFTRANSPORTATION

What is thereason formoving?Theresultsofaregularyearlysurveyonmobility inthecityofBarcelona

show that most of the travels are motivated by personal reasons, such as shopping, accompanying

someone,selfrecreation,personal issues,medicalreasons,visitingafriendorfamily.Allthesecausessum

up nearly 70% of the travels, being the rest work (almost 25%, the most important single factor) and

attendingstudies(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2010).

Workisthereforethelargesttransportmotivationofthecity.Regardingthedistributionofworkpositionsin

thecityarea,isremarkableitshighconcentrationintheLEixampledistrictandsomeindustrialareassuchas

theLlobregatsdeltaandtheunmatchingdistributionofpopulation inthesuburbs(Fig.5),generatingthe

commutingofaroundtwomillionpeopletothecitycenterinthemorningwhothengobacktothesuburbs

intheafternoon(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2009b)(Fig.6).Thisnumberdoesnotincludetheflux

ofvehiclesofdifferentsizeusedforthesupplyofgoods.


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Figure6:Daily travelsof individuals from thedifferent sectorsofBarcelonametropolitan region in1996 (AutoritatdelTransport

Metropolit,2009b).

Table1:Totaltravels(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2011)N.b.:BCN:Barcelona,BMR:Barcelonametropolitanregion.

Travels BCNBCNVar%

10/09BCNBMR

Var%

10/09Total

Var%

10/09%

ResidentsfromBCN 4.634.556 9,6% 548.487 3,5% 5.183.043 8,9% 80,1%

Residentsfromthe

restofMAB146.240 4,8% 1.142.608 2,1% 1.288.848 2,4% 19,9%

Total 4.780.796 9,1% 1.691.095 5,8% 6.471.891 6,4% 100,0%

Figure 5:Distributionofpopulation (left, red dots), excludingBarcelona city,andwork position (right, violetdots)over the

Barcelonasmetropolitanregion.


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4.PRESENTOFFEROFTRANSPORTATION

Thesolutiontothetransportationdemandisdeterminedbybarcelonesesdependingonthepurposeofthe

mobilization, its length, the time available and the advantages offered by the different mass systems,

betweenarelativelywidevarietyofoptionsBarcelonahas(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2004).

Asaresult

of

the

high

population

concentration

in

the

central

district

(LEixample)

and

the

relatively

favorableconditionsforwalking(seesection4.1below),agreatmajorityofthetransportneedsaresolved

withnomotorizedtransportationinBarcelonacity,suchaswalkingorbicycleriding,whentravellinginside

thecity.Forintercitytransportation,themotorizedvehiclestakeamorepredominantrole(Table2).

Table 2:Distribution and recent evolution of travelmethods and specific composition of the private transportation typology

(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2011).N.b.:BCN:Barcelona,BMR:Barcelonametropolitanregion.

Methoddistribution BCNBCN BCNBMR Total

NoMotortransportation 55,4%(+3,0%) 3,3%(+0,8%) 41,7%(+3,2%)

Publictransportation

29,5%

(2,7%)

48,9%

(+0,9%)

34,6

(2,0%)

Privatetransportation 15,1%(0,3%) 47,8%(1,7%) 23,7%(1,2%)

Privatetransportation BCNBCN BCNBMR Total

Car 56,1%(2,6) 85,5%(+0,5%) 71,6%(+5,6)

Motorcycle 41,8%(+1,5%) 11,8%(1,0%) 26,0%(6,6%)

Other 2,1%(+1,1%) 2,7%(+0,5%) 2,4%(+1,1%)

Theefficiencyofpublictransportationishigheratgreaterurbandensities.Barcelonaisnottheexception,as

theFig.7shows.Formovements insidethecenter,mostusepublictransportation.However,fortravelling

tothe

much

more

extensive

area

of

the

suburbs,

people

choose

more

frequently

private

transportation

(Fig.

7).


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Figure7:Usageofprivatetransportation(blue)andpublictransportation(green)intheinnerandconnectingtravels(Autoritatdel

TransportMetropolit,2009b).

Thecharacteristicsofthedifferenttransportationtypesaredescribedinthefollowingsections.

4.1.NO

MOTORIZEDTRANSPORTATION

PedestriantravellingisthesinglemostusedtransportationmethodinBarcelona(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,

2011;AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2010).Barcelonacountswithgoodconditionsforwalking,such

asasoftreliefandcomfortableweather.Butthisisalsotheconsequenceofthedegreeofurbandensityand

thediversityofactivities,allresultingintheconvenienceofwalking.Barcelonasgovernmentinvestsefforts

in maintaining these factors or even improving them in order to encourage this sustainable and healthy

methodoftransport(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2008).Thefactorsconstrainingthepedestriansare:

Security: Especially in the interaction with other transport methods. Pedestrians are involved inmorethan15%ofroadaccidentsinthecity.

Availability

of

space:

often

construction

sites

and

commercial

terraces

and

activities

invade

the

publicspacepreventingfluidityinthefluxofpeople.

Bicycle is theothercomponentofnomotorized transportation. Is the fastestgrowingmethod in the last

years.Thecitycountswithaprivatelyownedfleetofaround210.000bicycles,fromwhich40.000areused

everyday.Thecitysgovernmentseesinbicyclesoneofthebestwaystoimprovetheenvironmentalissues

ofcurrenttransportsystem(seechapter6).Theimplementedstrategiesinordertodosoar:

Anetworkof128km(andgrowing)ofspecialbicycletracks(Fig.8).


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Increasingtheavailabilityofbicycleparkingspaces. Allowingthecombinationofbicyclewithotherpublictransportsystems,suchasmetroandtrains. Implementationof theBicingsystem. Initiated in2007,provides residentswithpubliclyowned

bicyclesforfreeuse(withinayearlycontract).Thebicycles(nearly3000in2008)aredistributedin

194stations,generating28.000dailymovements(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2008).

Figure8:Networkofspecialbicycletracks.

4.2.TRANSPORTATIONINMOTORIZEDPRIVATEOWNEDVEHICLES

Barcelona isnottheexceptiontotheuniversalizationofcars inmoderncities,whichtookovertheurban

space.Their

contribution

with

pollution

and

noise

frequently

overshadows

the

advantages

they

provide.

Thoughavery flexibleandversatile transport tool,carsare severely spaceinefficient.Barcelonadestines

20%ofitsareatoholdmobilityinfrastructuresuchasroads,avenues,etc.(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2004).

Carcongestion in thecity is frequentlymentioned in reportsaboutsustainable transport (Ajuntamentde

Barcelona,2004)but theyoffernomorespecific informationaboutthisproblem.Ontheotherhand,the

metroareawassubjecttomore intensivestudiesofthecoststothegovernmentandsociety ingeneralof

trafficjams,asisshowedelaboratelybyAbada&Pineda(2007).


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Thisstudyincludesalsotheresultsofasurveyonthereasonsfornotusingacarasatransportationmethod.

The impossibilityoffindingparkingplace isthemostfrequentlyusedargument.Thesecondreason isthat

thepublicmasstransitsystemisverycomfortable(answeredbyalmost50%ofinterviewees).Probablyas

aconsequenceofthis,theprivatelyownedfleetofcarsisinaslowdecreasesincelastyears(Table3).

Table3:Compositionandevolutionofprivateownedvehiclefleet(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2011).

Typeofvehicles 2007 2008 2009 2010 %Var%

10/07

Var%

10/09

Total 991.151 990.166 981.903 981.580 100,0 1,0 0,0

Cars 617.022 608.830 599.534 597.618 60,9 3,1 0,3

Motorcycles 184.888 193.902 199.407 205.705 21,0 11,3 3,2

Motorbikes,Mopeds 93.783 93.382 90.934 88.391 9,0 5,7 2,8

Vans 42.234 38.968 36.175 33.451 3,4 20,8 7,5

Trucks 31.257 30.131 28.520 27.006 2,8 13,6 5,3

Othervehicles 21.967 24.953 27.333 29.409 3,0 33,9 7,6

Theactiontakenbythecitytoimprovethecirculationofvehicleswastheestablishmentofroadhierarchies

to enhance vehicle circulation (Fig. 9). As a result, over 21% of the road network holds 68% of the

traffic(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2008).Furthermore,nearly25kmofbeltwayrouteshavebeendeveloped,

overwhichcirculates19,5%ofthetraffic(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2008).

Figure9:Hierarchyofroadnetwork(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2008).


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Hierarchyisalsovisibleintheregionalscale(Fig.9).

Figure10:Roadnetwork intheBarcelonametropolitanregion.N.b.:Blue lines:highway;Grey lines:preferentialroads;Red lines:

Basicroads;Greenlines:Localroads.

The difficulties of driving cars have caused the fleet of twowheel vehicles (motorcycles, motorbikes,

mopeds)to

play

an

important

role

(see

Chap.

7,

foto

4).

Barcelona

is

actually

the

city

of

Europe

with

the

highestrelationmotorcycleperperson(withavalueof65,comparedwith58inAthens,42inRome,27 in

Madridand18 inBerlin)(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2004).Thisphenomena isseenwithcautiouseyesby

theauthorities,becausethoughmoreefficientintheuseofspace,motorcycles increasetheCO2emissions

andespeciallynoiselevel.

4.3.TRANSPORTATIONINMASSTRANSITSYSTEMS

The public transportation is composed of several typologies: metro, buses, suburban trains, taxis and

tramway.


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Table4:Composition, usageandadministrationofBarcelonasmainmasstransitsystems(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2004,2011).

N.b.:n.a.:datanotavailable.

System Infrastructure(2003) Transportdemand

(millionyearly

travels,2010)

Administrator

Metro 6lines,123stations,87kmof

tracks,581wagons,118trains

381 TransportsMetropolitansde

Barcelona(TMB)

TMBBuses 104lines,890kmofroutes,2.353

stops,102kmofspecialbus

tracks,1.010vehicles(908with

airconditioning)


Barcelona(TMB)

Otherbuses n.a. 138 Privateoperators

Taxis 10.486vehicles n.a. Privateoperators

Suburbantrains

(RENFERodalies)

4lines 104 RedNacionaldelos

RerrocarrilesEspaoles(RENFE)

Suburbantrains(FGC) 2lines,13stations,7kmtracks,

151wagons,43trains

80 FerrocarrilesdelaGeneralidad

deCatalua(FGC)

Tramway Trambaix(3lines,25stations);

Trambess(1

linea,

14

stations)


Barcelona(TMB)

Total 916

Themetronetwork,opened in1924,coverspracticallyallthecity,serving74%ofpopulationaccordingto

thecitystransportauthority(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2009b;Fig.11),anditsexpanding:anew

lineisbeingbuilt(L9)andthreearebeingextended(L2,L4,L5).


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Figure11:extensionofthemetronetwork(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2009b).Thevioletareashowsthedistanceofupto

500mfromastation.

One significant improvement the metro network requires is the improvement of offer/demand relation,

considering the saturation of some of the lines (especially lines 1 and 5 in the morning) (Ajuntament de

Barcelona,2008;Fig.12).


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Figure 12:Metro network intensity of use (Autoritat del TransportMetropolit, 2009b).N.b.: The thicker line in the reference

represents150.000dailypassengers.

Trainservicesprovidethegreatestshareofintercitytransportation.Theirlayoutcorrelateswiththeurban

corridors(seeChapter5).


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Figure13:CoverageoftheRodalies(proximity)suburbantrains,operatedbyRENFE(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2009b).

Figure14:CoverageofGeneralitat(FGC)trains(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2009b).


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Figure15: Intensityofuseofthesuburbantrainnetwork(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2009b).N.b:Thethicker line inthe

referencerepresents150.000dailypassengers.

Busnetwork isextensiveandmuchmoreversatile,though itslimitedinthemetroareafor itsharesroads

withnormaltraffic,originatingdelays.Travelbybusmaytakemorethanthedoubleoftime(whentravelling

tothemetroarea)thandoingthattripbycar(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2009a).

Tramwaylineswereopenedin2003inanattempttorecoverthistypeoftransportation.

Bothwithbusservice,thissystemsareseenastheidealsystemsforshorttraveldemand,andforelderly.

5.THEMETROAREAANDCORRIDORS

Themetropolization isanewchallengeBarcelonahasfacedsincethemid20th

Centuryandtheemergence

ofcarsasthemainprivatetransportationmethod.

TeparticulargeomorphologicsituationofBarcelonaoriginatedcorridors(Fig.16).


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Figure 16: The relief as themain factor defining the configuration of urban corridors (modified from Autoritat del Transport

Metropolit,2009a)

Theroadnetworkreflectthesecorridors(Fig.10)andalsodosuburbantrains(Figs.13,14).


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Figure17: Intensityofuseof the roadnetwork in themetropolitanarea (AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,2009b).N.b.:The

circlesrepresentpopulationcenters(lightgreen,lessthan50.000inhabitants;brown,more);Thegradedcolorscalerepresentdaily

fluxofvehicles.

The metro region is also the area having to deal with largesized vehicles, which serve several industrial

areas such as Llobregat rivers delta, and whose entrance to the central area is banned, following the

transportauthorityspolicyofintermodality,thatis,theuseofdifferentsizedvehiclesdependindtheareaof

circulation.

6.ENVIRONMENTALEXTERNALITIES

6.1.POLLUTION

OneofBarcelonasmore importantenvironmentalproblems isairpollution,beingitssinglebiggestsource

privatevehicles. In2007a report indicatedanaverageconcentrationof toxicparticlesputting thecity in

worstconditionsthanotherevenbiggercitiessuchasNewYork,MexicoCityandTokyo(Simonis,2010).


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Inreaction,restrictionswere imposedespecially inthemaximumcirculationofvehicleswithgoodresults.

However, theconcentrationof nitrogendioxide (NO2) is increasing,probably from the increase indiesel

poweredvehicles.

6.2.ENERGYEFFICIENCYANDCO2EMISSIONS

SpainhassignedandratifiedtheKyotoProtocolofreductionofgreenhousegas(GHG)emission.According

to its level of development when the Protocol was designed, Spain is classified as an Annex I country,

meaningitmustreduceitsemissionstoalevelbelowthoseof1990,althoughtheredistributionofemission

permissions inside the European Union allowed Spain to reach an increase of 15% (Novak, Tanizaki, &

Badiani,2005).Themoderationorreductionofemissionwouldbeachievedviarealreductionsorpurchase

ofcarboncreditsinthecarbonmarket

Simultaneously, transportation is expected to be the economic sector with the largest share of GHG

emission in the country. This sector is far from reaching its emission reduction targets (Autoritat del

Transport

Metropolit,

2006).

In

consequence,

this

sector

is

subject

to

serious

attention

in

the

national

plans

ofemissionreduction.

SpecificallyinBarcelona,transportationisthelargestenergyconsumer,withalmost43%,generatingalmost

2millionstonesofCO2annually(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2004).Fromthisshareofenergy,carsconsume

upto90%,unveilingthe inefficiencyofprivatemotorizedtransportation:carsprovide33%ofthe travels,

butconsume90%oftheenergy.Intheotherhand,metroprovides13%ofthetransportationandconsumes

only3,86%oftheenergy(AjuntamentdeBarcelona,2008).

For that reason, pedestrian and bicycle transit is being stimulated with the expansion of special tracks,

provisionofbicycles,etc.(seesection4.1).

6.3.NOISE

InBarcelona,openingofthebeltway(circumvallation)roads, improvementofthepavement instreetsand

moredemandingcarcontrolshavehelpedcurbingnoisepollution.However,problemswithnoisepersistin

manyplacesofthecity.Approximately50%ofBarcelonasurbanspacereceivenoiseofover65dBalongthe

day,and35%ofpopulationlivesinzoneswherethislimitisexceeded(AutoritatdelTransportMetropolit,

2006).Itisknownthatmotorvehiclesgeneratemorethan80%ofthenoise.

Inastudyofthenoiseemissionoverthecitysroadnetwork(Fig.18), isvisiblethatthenoise leveldidnt

increase in the city center since the eighties, but it has increased in the beltways instead. Probably the

congestionin

the

center

avoids

noise

to

increase

even

further.


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Figure18:Evolutionofnoise levelsmeasured in the roadnetwork.N.b.: themeasuredparameterwasaveragedaily intensityof

noise, though is not possible to identify the units in the original. The graph is showed anyway for graphical interpretation.


6.4.SECURITY

Thecollisionbetweenvehiclesandknockingdownarethemostfrequenttypesofaccidentsinthecity,being

more than80% of the total.The restof the accidents are related withcrashes toobstacles,knockingor

falling motorcycles. In beltways, knocking with the vehicle in front is the cause of 55% of the accidents


7.FROMTHEFIELD:OBSERVATIONSAFTERVISITINGTHECITY

WemadeavisittothecitywiththeR.U.M.coursebetween14th

and16th

December,2011.Ipersonallyhad

arrivedthreedaysearlier.

My first and main finding after arriving to Barcelona was the easiness of moving around with public

transportation.Actually,duringourtriptothecityandmypreviousstay,Iand laterthegroupdidntusea

gasolinemotorizedvehicleatanytime,though itsalsotruethatthetripsactivitieswereconcentrated in

thecentraldistrict.Yetallthemobilizationweneeded,thepublicnetworkprovided inamuchsatisfactory

way.

Followingaresomefieldnoteswithfotos.


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Foto Comment

1. Ciutat Vella (Oldcity)and LEixample:This

is Via Laietana, a Cerdlike road in the

middleofahistoricdistrict.Mostcarssimply

passthrough:lotsofnoiseandsmoke.

2. Ciutat Vella: in this case Barcino, and its

relation with modernity. In the morning,

hoardsofvansfill itsplazasand limitedopen

spacesin

order

to

supply

shops

around

them.


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3.Modern LEixample:Thechamferedcorners

offeraversatilespaceforcarandmotorcycle

parking and/or garbage tones. The bicycle

tracksarerallyfrequentlypresent.

4. Modern LEixample: A regular street. High

presence of motorcycles. At no moment

trafficseemedcongested.

5. Modern LEixample: The wider Carrer de

Aragworksasapotenttraffictube.These

avenuesareusedfor longhauls,socarspass

throughasfastaspossible.


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6. Modern LEixample: new bicycle tracks

have their share even through the stylish

PasseigdeGraca.

7.Transportoffer:Bicingstationsarereally

alloverthecity

8.andtheyarereallybeingused.

9.Transportoffer:themetro.Thesametype

of tickets available inmetro isvalid for tram

andbuses.


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10.Transportoffer:theTram,coveringareas

newlydeveloped.

8.CONCLUSIONS

Barcelona is the jewel in the urban regeneration field. () Barcelona is a city that, quitesimply, works.Arch.LordRichardRogers,Thefragmentedcityandtheroleofthearchitect.

Eventhoughconflictspersist(actually,woulditbepossiblenothavingconflictsatall?),theoutstandingfact

inBarcelonaishowithasproactivelyworkedtosolveandpreventthem,especiallyfromthefieldofurban

planning:

Theconcentrationandchokingenvironmentofthecityin18thcenturywassolvedwithLEixamplesinnovativeapproachofhuge(fortheparametersofthattime)spaceformobility.

After the successof LEixamples, thecity faced carcongestion,noiseandairpollution.Thecityrapidlyrespondeddiversifyingandexpandingthetransportationoffer, speciallywithmetro.

Thechallengesofpresenttimesarethoserelatedtoenvironmentalissues.Thecitysintentionistoincreasetheroomfornotmotorizedtransportation(pedestriansandbicycleriders),anddiminish

thecarbonintensityoftodayssystem.

Thestrength

of

planning

efforts

has

not

diminished.

Currently

three

main

guiding

plans

were

adopted:

the

UrbanMobilityPlan (specific forBarcelonacity),theRegionalmobilityplan (metroarea),andthePact for

MobilityinBarcelona(whichisaparticipativeinstanceandalsocoverallthemetroarea).

Inanycase, itseemsthattheresponsibilityanddestinyofBarcelona istoovercome itself.Thesuccess in

someaspectsmustbeusedasanimpulseforotherobjectives.


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9.CITEDLITERATURE

Abada,X.,&Pineda,M. (Eds.). (2007). Lacongestinen loscorredoresdeaccesoaBarcelona.Barcelona:

Fundacin del Real Automvil Club de Catalua. Retrieved from http://www.racc.es/

pub/ficheros/adjuntos/adjuntos_congestio_esp_versiondiciembre_ok_jzq_810fdcaf.pdf

Ajuntament de Barcelona. (2004). Mobilitat ms sostenible, ciutet ms confortable. Barcelona. Retrieved

fromhttp://w3.bcn.es/fitxers/mobilitat/guiamobilitatsostenible.442.pdf

Ajuntament de Barcelona. (2008). Pla mobilitat urbana Barcelona. Barcelona. Retrieved from

http://w3.bcn.es/fitxers/ajuntament/pmubarcelona.513.pdf

Ajuntament de Barcelona. (2011). Dades bsiques de mobilitat 2010: Resum. Barcelona. Retrieved from

http://w110.bcn.cat/Mobilitat/Continguts/Documents/Fitxers/dadesbasiques2010resum.pdf

Autoritat del Transport Metropolit. (2006). Pla Director de Mobilitat de la Regi Metropolitana de

Barcelona:

Criteris

de

Sostenibilitat.

Barcelona.

Retrieved

from

http://www.atm.cat/web/ca/

mobilitat/documentspdmelpdm.php

Autoritat del Transport Metropolit. (2009a). Pla director de mobilitat de la Regi Metropolitana de

Barcelona. Barcelona: Autoritat del Transport Metropolit. Retrieved from http://www.atm.cat/

web/ca/veure.php?pdf=ca/_dir_pdm/pdMPlaMobilitatRMB&h=750

AutoritatdelTransport Metropolit. (2009b). Pla Director dInfraestructures de la regi metropolitana de

Barcelona20012010.Memriaactualitzada.Barcelona.Retrievedfromhttp://www.atm.cat/web/ca/

infraestructures/memoriapdi.php

Autoritat del Transport Metropolit. (2010). Enquesta de mobilitat en dia feiner. Retrieved from

http://www.atm.cat/web/pdf/ca/mobilitat_dia_feiner_rmb/files/mobilitat_rmb.pdf

Barcelona.(2011).Wikipedia.RetrievedDecember4,2011,fromhttp://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona

Borja,J.(2009).LucesysombrasdelurbanismodeBarcelona.Barcelona:EditorialUOC.

Busquets,J.,&Corominas,M.(Eds.).(2009).CerdandtheBarcelonaofthefuture:Realityversusproject.

Barcelona:ConsortiumofTheCentredeCulturaContemporniadeBarcelona.

Novak, M., Tanizaki, J., & Badiani, R. (2005). Kyoto Protocol and Beyond: The Economic Cost to Spain.

Brussels: International Council for Capital Formation. Retrieved from http://www.iccfglobal.org/

pdf/Spainfinal101705.pdf

Simonis,D.(2010).BarcelonaCityGuide(7thed.).Victoria:LonelyPlanet.

Barcelona's Major Traffic Systems and Corridors

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