Karlsruhe: Abolition of the low emission zone causes concern
With the planned abolition of the sticker requirement for the city centre, the ban on lorries passing through is also cancelled - with consequences for air and noise levels. Should the city back down and let the driving bans stand?
In 2009, the low emission zone was first introduced in Karlsruhe's city centre. Now, thirteen years later, the regional council from Baden-Württemberg wants to drop it. As of next spring, the sticker requirement for the zone is to be lifted because, according to ongoing reviews of the emission situation within the low emission zone, emission-based traffic restrictions are no longer necessary.
According to current measurements, the immission concentration for nitrogen oxide is now well below the annual average limit value of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre. All other threshold values for air pollutants, such as particulate matter, are also being met. If conditions remain the same, the authorities say, no future deterioration in air quality is to be expected.
But citizens are critical of the decisions right now. Residents of Reinhold-Frank-Strasse in particular are worried about the abolition of the environmental zone and the associated ban on lorries passing through. After all, pollution is not the only cause for concern. Even if the air values are to remain below the limit even after the ban is lifted, citizens will be confronted with another problem, noise pollution. Already, with environmental zone regulations still metering traffic, noise levels in the city centre are skyrocketing.
According to reports from the measuring station in Reinhold-Frank-Straße, traffic noise reaches up to 80 decibels (dB) in volume during the day - with a mean value that is around 70 dB. Five decibels more than what is recommended by the World Health Organisation. And this is notwithstanding the peak values at rush hour, which at times even exceed 90 dB. All in all, an already critical situation that can only get worse with the resumption of road traffic.
Should the regional council reconsider the abolition of the low emission zone? Should at least the driving bans on vehicles in the larger weight categories remain in force? What is certain is that without them, the streets of Karlsruhe's city centre will become much noisier - to the regret of residents. Should the city decide to go ahead as planned and soon allow all vehicles to drive, the introduction of further noise protection measures should be considered without delay. Alternatively, a so-called noise protection zone, as already introduced in parts of Austria, could be considered. Although this only applies to motorbikes there, the concept could also be adapted for Karlsruhe and HGVs.