City of Antwerp will work on logistics and heavy traffic in the CityTRAQ project. Together with the VMM, the city is conducting traffic counts for freight traffic and air quality measurements at local hotspots and school environments.

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Developing a sustainable measurement network and drawing an air quality action plan

The City of Bruges is committed to the further development of a sustainable measurement network throughout the city. Through traffic counts with smart cameras at a number of mobility hubs, the City monitors different modes of transportation and links them to air quality measurements (particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone). The City then simulates the effect of different measures that improve air quality on the mobility network. Thus, the impact of modal shift, a one-way street or a school street can be examined. Using these tools, the city will arrive at a reasoned air quality action plan with concrete actions to improve local air quality in the coming years.

Goals

1

Assessment of the air quality in the Bruges area throughout the year

2

Drawing an air quality plan

For 2 years, the city of Bruges will roll out a measurement network with multiparameter sensors to monitor particulate matter (PM_2.5), NO₂ and O₃. How these air quality parameters fluctuate throughout the day and year will be examined at 18 locations in the Bruges area. In addition, mobility cameras will also be placed at some nodes near the multiparameter sensors so that measurements can be linked to air quality measurements. Based on these measurement results, the impact of different measures will be simulated, through a tool developed by the VMM, to develop an air quality action plan. The impact of these measures will also be monitored in real time by the measurement network.

Sensors in the streets

Pilot project in Ghent: Setting up oxygen districts and evaluating school streets and circulation plans

The City of Ghent is rolling out several initiatives with a focus on school streets and mobility plans. On the one hand, the city is measuring the impact of school streets on local air quality. On the other hand, it examines how circulation plans can be implemented. Various sensors are deployed to measure nitrogen dioxide concentrations, with the main objectives being:

1

Assessment of different mobility plans for residential areas

2

Building support for school streets in Ghent

3

Improving air quality monitoring in mobility plans

©Stad Gent

Improving air quality monitoring of district mobility plans in Ghent

The impact of all district mobility plans on air quality is being monitored using passive NO2 samplers. Reliability of passive samplers is high, but the potential to involve citizens is rather low due to the lack of transparency and the long wait for lab results. Within CityTRAQ, Ghent investigates if sensors can be used as an alternative for passive samplers to evaluate the impact of mobility measures on air quality. Therefore, NO2 sensor boxes have been installed in the district of Dampoort/Oud-Gentbrugge. Fixed NO2- sensors are measuring at at least 10 locations in the district, from 4 months before implementation of the mobility plan until at least 6 months after.

Access the data in realtime

Goals

Insight into the effectiveness and added value of NO2 sensors in the context of the monitoring of mobility interventions

Bring about more transparency in the evaluation process of policy action

Increase support for policy action

Building support base for school streets through air quality monitoring

The already existing school street approach of the city of Ghent is being enriched with an air quality perspective from start to finish, centered around participative NO2 measurements. These measurements are conducted with passive samplers and sensors in and near a school street. Real time air quality will also be visualised on a screen near the school entrance. These measurements and visualization will be used to build a support base for school streets and induce behavioural change.

©Stad Gent

Goals

Enrich the existing school street approach with information about air quality and visualize real-time measurement results at school gate

Increase support and commitment for school street intervention

Induce behavioural change towards more sustainable travel

Raise awareness of idling cars

Air quality projects are being launched in the Croatian capital Zagreb, taking into account the lessons learned from the pilot projects in Flanders. More information will follow in the near future.