Brenner Lec
Vehicular Traffic | Smart Signals | EU Projects | Low Emissions | Dynamic Lane
Trentino Alto Adige - Italia (2016 - in progress)
BrennerLEC
project
(Brenner Lower Emissions Corridor) started in 2016 with the objective of
reducing the impact of vehicular traffic in the Brenner A22 Bolzano –
Rovereto Sud section on both the surrounding environment and the resident
population. The project is based on three pillars:
1.
A Dynamic speed management
2.
A Dynamic Lane
3. Smart street signs
Targeted interventions have allowed to assess the combined effectiveness of these measures, reducing the environmental impact of the highway section by optimizing its traffic flow. The project was approved by the European Commission in March 2016 and started in September 2016. Its EUR 4 million budget was co-financed by LIFE program EU funds for EUR 1.9 million.
Developed in a sensitive context such as the Alps, the final goal of the project was to create a Lower Emissions Corridor and reduce noise pollution by dynamically adjusting speed limits through the use of a dynamic lane and smart signs.
The environmental monitoring activity was performed utilizing the official ARPA network alongside AirQino stations. Particular attention was paid to the measurement of nitrogen oxides.
Phase 1 (February 2017 – April 2018) of the project focused on a series of experiments testing the effects of a dynamic speed limit management system.
Results show that a reduction of 15 km/h in the average speed of vehicles translated into a 10% reduction in the concentration of nitrogen dioxides (NO2). At the same time, this practice also allowed to increase the motorway capacity by 8%, optimizing traffic flow during its peaks while reducing queues and average travel times.
Phase 2 began in May 2018. Policies tested in the previous phase were further fine-tuned with the introduction of a recommended speed alongside dynamic speed limits. A system processing data and automating speed limit adjustments was later implemented, proving to be particularly efficient in the event of dense traffic jams. Starting December 2019, all these measures were deployed along the entire highway section with the ultimate goal to develop an optimized operating standard and finalize a model to be replicated in other stretches of the Italian Alpine landscape by April 2021.
Results have confirmed the positive impact of an automated dynamic speed-limit management system. This has proven to drastically improve traffic fluidity while reducing emissions. On average, a 7% decrease in NO (nitrogen monoxide) and a 2-3% decrease in NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) were registered with a reduction of 5 km/h in the average speed of light vehicles.
AirQino played a crucial role in the BrennerLEC project, making it possible to deploy a reliable, extended high-resolution monitoring network along the entire highway section.
AirQino stations use the latest generation sensor technology to deliver a multifunctional environmental monitoring system capable of providing reliable, real-time data. Outdoor units are designed to operate under stressed weather conditions and can be configured to detect and measure a large set of chemical compounds and air pollutants (NO2, CO, O3, Total V.O.C, PM2.5 and PM10 and CO2).
