anti-pollution cities such as Madrid and Paris are taking drastic measures, respectively, to restrict the road traffic by enrollments in episodes of high pollution or prohibit the diesel in 2020. Drastic measures that may pale in comparison to the decision taken by Oslo. In 2019, the capital of Norway to prohibit the traffic in your city centre. A urban center that will become the paradise of pedestrians, bicyclists, and businesses. What will happen with the cars?
Several european cities already have pilot projects in which shall prohibit the movement of cars for a day.
The current regency of the city – made up of the Labour Party, the Green Party and the socialist left – has agreed on this plan, focused on making the centre of Oslo a clean place and accessible to all. This prohibition to vehicular traffic shall be accompanied by creation of 60 km of additional bike lanes, as well as a huge boost to public transport. The network of buses and streetcars – already really good and advanced – will be expanded and will increase its frequency to accommodate the increase of users.
The City also asserts that will allow vehicle traffic to commercial supply, as well as the municipal services required. Also will the cars of disabled people, and it is not clear if some electric taxis. Be that as it may, the pedestrianisation of the centre is the priority of the city Council, and it is believed that this will create a boom of activity to the business of the area. The owners of these businesses have expressed concern, but believes that they are unfounded fears.
Oslo is not a large city. Its total population is about 600,000 inhabitants, the level of Zaragoza or Malaga.
The City of Oslo will carry out experiments and pilot projects in order to control the viability of this decision. A gradual implementation expected to culminate in 2019 and that, oddly enough, should not be a traumatic one: most of the residents with their own vehicle – some 350,000 vehicles in total – live in the outskirts Oslo and they should have no problem in adapting to a centre pedestrianized and clean. It is a matter of space, says the leader of the green party: “where it is a parked car would fit 15 bikes”.
Source: The Independent
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