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Low Emission Zones (LEZ) / Environmental zone

FACT SHEET NO.: Cat-No.6 / Subcat-No.6.6-2

General Information

Title

FACT SHEET NO.: Cat-No.6 / Subcat-No.6.6-2

Category

6. Transport planning

Subcategory

6.6 Urban mobility: "zero/low emission" strategies

Transport policy measure (TPM)

Low Emission Zones (LEZ) / Environmental zone

Description of TPM

The transport policy measure covers the integration of 'low emission zones' in urban transport / mobility.
A 'low emission zone (LEZ)', also called 'Environmental zone', is a specific area mostly within cities, where the usage of specific transport modes is restricted or prohibited.[1] It is a defined geographical area that can only be entered by vehicles meeting certain emission criteria. [4]
Further access restrictions can additionally being implemented in a LEZ:
- a time restriction
- vehicle restrictions (type, weight, length, height)
- loading factor / utilisation rate
- permanent street closures and pedestrianisation schemes [1], [4], [5]
The purpose of a low emission zone is to restrict the most polluting vehicles entering the area of adaptation when they exceed a certain emission level. Hence, to lower the emissions in a certain area a LEZ is introduced when the level of pollutants has reached a dangerous level, which will negatively influence the public health. [4]
In 2009 low emission zones have been established in about 70 European cities, with different access rules and different enforcement methods.The rules may be determined by national, regional and local legislation. Within the zones the access criteria vary widely (also across differentenvironmental zones in the same country) and include:
- Euro pollutant emission standards
- Emission level for particulates only
- Equipment of vehicles with a particulate filter (without checks on actual emission levels)
- Equipment of vehicles with a catalytic converter
- Weight, with local classifications varying for different vehicle categories
- Age, differentiated by vehicle category
- Vehicle technology (petrol, diesel, natural gas, LPG or electric)
- Vehicle number plates [3]

Implementation examples

- Low emission Zone Utrecht (NL) [5]
- Environmental zones Gothenburg, Stockholm, Lund, Malmo (SE) [5]
- Protected zone Prague (CZ) [5]
- Other cities in Italy, Norway, Denmark, Germany etc.
- Delivery time windows and vehicle restrictions (53% of the Dutch municipalities) (NL) [5]

Objectives of TPM

- Reduction of pollutant emissions and to meet the obligations arising from the EU air quality legislation [3]; the main air pollution problems in European are caused by particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ground level ozone. Road traffic is a significant source of NO2 and PM. [4]
- The implementation of LEZ may also reduce the traffic noise emissions and improve the road safety. (new vehicles) [4]
- In the last years there emerged other strategic objectives (reduction of congestion, Increasing livability of cities) [6]

Choice of transport mode / Multimodality

Increase of intermodality

Origin and/or destination of trip

No change

Trip frequency

Reduction (increase of load factor)

Choice of route

No change

Timing (day, hour)

Depending on characteristic of measure

Occupancy rate / Loading factor

Increase

Energy efficiency / Energy usage

Energy usage will be reduced, thus energy efficiency will be positively affected.

Main source

[1] European Commission (2009): Transport Research Knowledge Centre - Thematic research Summary: Urban Transport, Brussels.
[2] European Commission (2009): Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European economic and social committee and the Committee of Regions. Action Plan on Urban Mobility. COM(2009)490, Brussels
[3] European Commission (2009): Commission staff working document Communication form the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European economic and social committee and the Committee of Regions. Action Plan on Urban Mobility - Impact Assessment. SEC(2009)1211, Brussels
[4] Best Urban Freight Solutions II (BESTUFS II) (2008): Policy and Research Recommendations IV. Environmental zones in European cities, Accommodating the needs of passengers and freight transport in cities, and BESTUFS Project Recommendations
[5] Best Urban Freight Solutions II (BESTUFS II) (2006): D5.2 Quantification of urban freight transport effects II
[6] European Commission (2010): Study on urban access restrictions, Rome

Traffic Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Travel or transport time

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Risk of congestion

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Vehicle mileage

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Service and comfort

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

Operation phase

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Indifferent result regarding the risk of congestion. Strong dependency on measure configuration.
- Reduction of congestion, because of access restriction (Prague, Protected zone) [5]
- Increase of congestion, due to the time window. Hence, the majority of the drivers transport goods in the morning (Dutch municipalities, NL) [5]
- Same volume of freight to/from city center will be split among other road vehicles (possibly light goods vehicles), which will generate more traffic in terms of vehicle-km [6] ; possible negative impact on road capacity summary?

Quantification of impacts


Economic Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Transport costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Private income / commercial turn over

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Revenues in the transport sector

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sectoral competitiveness

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Spatial competitiveness

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Housing expenditures

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Insurance costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Health service costs

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Public authorities & adm. burdens on businesses

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Public income (e.g.: taxes, charges)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Third countries and international relations

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

Implementation phase

- Freight Distributors: Strategy of redeployment (old / new vehicles) depends on market coverage (local - national) and size of vehicle fleet

Operation phase

- Freight Distributors: Operating costs are closely related to the companies frequency of replacing vehicles and stringency of individual LEZ

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Transport costs increase
- Increase of capital costs (replacement/adaptation) for road transport operators; Potential economic inefficiency due to imposed replacement of vehicles before end of economic life, if not only time restricted access [6] This is potentially positive for developing countries as these may use the old vehicles, thus replacing even older / inefficient vehicles. [EE]
- Reduction of revenues for transport operators - Costs for public authorities increase due to additional investigation
- Higher potential business costs for directly affected companies (businesses within zone) => Reduction of revenues
- Reduction of health service costs
- Changed transport costs influence the sectoral competitiveness between modes for passenger traffic.

Quantification of impacts

- The major reasons for higher operational costs are the variety of conditions regarding the individual time windows for freight deliveries and vehicle-type related restrictions; estimation at 100 million € per year for freight distributors caused by local regulations at supermarkets in the Netherlands. Potential significant increase of vehicle operating costs between 0.1 and 70%. [3]
- Estimations for urban rail based transport systems gain about 4.5 bn € for the rail supply industry up to 2020 due to fragmentation. [3]
- Copenhagen: Estimation of implementation and operation cost of 45-100 million € (HGV>3.5t gross weight; EURO 3) [4]
- Utrecht Low emission Zone: Additional costs for companies due to replacement/adaptation of vehicles (6500 vehicles: 69 million €); Additional costs for municipality (cameras, signs, communication, capacity costs) [5]
- Additional annual costs of mesh containers (MC) in core shopping areas for the whole Dutch retail sector: 425 million €. 63% of costs increase by time windows, 37% of costs increase by vehicle restrictions (height, length, width, axle pressure, weight) [5]

Social Impacts
Environmental Impacts

Passengers 

         

Transport operators 

           

Unassigned 

         

Air pollutants

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Noise emissions

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Visual quality of the landscape

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Land use

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Climate

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Renewable or non-renewable resources

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Overall impacts on social groups

The very young and old population/residents will be positively affected by a reduction of air pollutants (health benefits) as this are the age groups which suffer most from transport emissions. [4]

Implementation phase

Operation phase

Summary / comments concerning the main impacts

- Improved air quality: Not only reduction of NOx and PM, also emission reduction of CO, HC, CO2
- Reduction in noise emissions
- More attractive environment for companies and people; Increase of life quality

Quantification of impacts

- Reduction of NOx from HGV within low emission zone by 10% and emissions of particulates by 40% (Stockholm) [4]
- Less emissions inside (CO -6%, HC -4% , NOx -8% and PM -33%) and outside the zone because of generally newer fleet. Older vehicles generally operating countryside, where external costs are lower (Gothenburg, SE) [5]
- LEZ London: Older goods vehicles will be displaced for company operations outside the LEZ; this can lead to a net increase of air pollution from freight transport vehicles in the UK. [4]

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