Just force all the manufacturers to fix their dieselgate cars. Is anything actually being done about it or are they too worried that this will bankrupt the car companies?
Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
61–70 of 86 posts
Re: Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
#62Something people have to know is that these rules affect only the center of Madrid and traffic has been severely restricted in the Gran Via. Traditionally, this has been an important route to get from one side of the city to the other. So what this means is this traffic has moved somewhere else and that's why you see such a small drop in CO2 emissions in the city as a whole. Ironically, few families live in the center, so this might end up worsening the problem in residential/family areas.
Now closing the Gran Via and surrounding roads is problematic for various reasons. For example, the most important museums and cultural activities are in this area.
Re: Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
#63And the current mayor will probably lose office next month to parties that have promised to remove said restrictions, because in Spain hardly anyone cares about breathing poison. Sadly, being able to take and park cars everywhere seems to be a much higher priority for much of the population (I say this as a Spaniard). My hope is that the EU somehow intervenes and stops them from taking steps back in this respect. As…
> Air quality in the center has also improved, with pollution falling by 8.9% compared to the historic average for the December-March period, according to measurements taken from the Plaza del Carmen monitoring station, the only one located within the Madrid Central area. 8.9% ? Is a significant difference? Was the previous more polluted air any dangerous to breathe comparatively to all other daily risks people face?…
And that's the center alone. How much of the traffic that used to be routed through the center is now polluting other regions of the city?
Re: Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
#64And the current mayor will probably lose office next month to parties that have promised to remove said restrictions, because in Spain hardly anyone cares about breathing poison. Sadly, being able to take and park cars everywhere seems to be a much higher priority for much of the population (I say this as a Spaniard). My hope is that the EU somehow intervenes and stops them from taking steps back in this respect. As…
Carmena is the best thing that has ever happened to this city, precisely because she is always trying to do what's needed not what's convenient. Sadly, there are populists and selfish people everywhere around the world like vultures trading our long term well being for their own short term gain.
Can you name some of the good things she has done, besides her populist large "refugees welcome" sign on a public building and this badly thought plan that essentially moves traffic from the center to more residential areas?
Re: Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, thanks for this comment. That's what makes this matter worse: they restrict private transport, but public transport just gets worse and more expensive every year.
It should be mentioned here that in the case of Madrid, the metro is managed by a rightwing party who intentionally reduced the amount of trains when the car restrictions started, in order to cause discontent. See https://www.publico.es/politica/madrid-central-arranca-madri... (sorry for the link in Spanish).
I’ve tried going over the article and cannot find any mention to any right-wing party intentionally reducing the amount of trains. I should disclose that Spanish is my mother tongue.
If anyone wants to pour over the article and explain it to me: EMT is the TfL of Madrid, Mayor's office is left-wing, Regional government is right-wing.
Re: Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
Carmena is the best thing that has ever happened to this city, precisely because she is always trying to do what's needed not what's convenient. Sadly, there are populists and selfish people everywhere around the world like vultures trading our long term well being for their own short term gain.
Can you name some of the good things she has done, besides her populist large "refugees welcome" sign on a public building and this badly thought plan that essentially moves traffic from the center to more residential areas?
I don't figure how a "refugees welcome" sign is a populist thing in the current political climate. The opposite phrase would surely be.
Re: Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you name some of the good things she has done, besides her populist large "refugees welcome" sign on a public building and this badly thought plan that essentially moves traffic from the center to more residential areas?
I don't figure how a "refugees welcome" sign is a populist thing in the current political climate. The opposite phrase would surely be.
Trying to appeal to a large group on the basis of emotion is surely populism.
1. We welcome you, despite 14.1% unemployment rate in the country (probably higher), whereas a large portion of jobs are part-time and another large portion of full-time jobs pay minimum wage.
2. We welcome you, although we know you'll end up on the streets.
3. We welcome you, although we can't, but might this serve as motivation for your deadly journey ("efecto llamada").
4. We welcome you, at least we say, so now we can pat ourselves about how good we are.
The opposite is reason.
Re: Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
#68Carmena is communist, an "elpais" is a leftist newspaper. They are partial and you can not trust them on this. Specially now that we are under elections. An 8% difference with last year is nothing in Madrid. Madrid has big differences in pollution depending on what it rains, and specially on the wind. Pollution is bad there when there are anticyclonic weather and thermal inversion. Madrid has very clear skies, it is…
> She acts on feeling and ideology. Facts care very little to her.
A prior lawyer, judge and member of the General Council of the Judiciary – with a total judicial career of 29 years – cares not for facts?
Re: Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
#69I don't own a car because I'm fortunate enough to live in London with an awesome public transport system and a half decent cycle network. But the air quality here sucks and pollution from cars is through the fucking roof. We just introduced an Ultra Low Emission area scheme that's a half hearted attempt to do what they've done in Madrid, but for me that doesn't go far enough. I think we should just ban any vehicles t…
The cycle network is not half decent imo. Take a walk - or a drive around London and it quickly becomes apparent that cyclist are the lowest priority next to cars (1st) and walkers (2nd). In many cases, the cycle network is so half-assed it ends up making things more dangerous for everyone. Numerous bike paths exist that head directly into a utility pole, or last less than a block, or are consistently used as parking spaces, or lack any sort of protection from drivers. London does have a handful of nice 'cycle superhighways' which in any other city are simply 'bike lanes.' It's a good start.
I see bike infrastructure as a win-win-win. You reduce traffic and pollution, free up space on public transit, and improve the health and wellbeing citizens. I think London could develop a really unique bike network too - because many of the paths don't need to be associated with roadways and can instead cut through parks or follow along beside train tracks, canals, or the river.
Re: Emissions fall in Madrid city center thanks to new traffic restrictions
#70Carmena is communist, an "elpais" is a leftist newspaper. They are partial and you can not trust them on this. Specially now that we are under elections. An 8% difference with last year is nothing in Madrid. Madrid has big differences in pollution depending on what it rains, and specially on the wind. Pollution is bad there when there are anticyclonic weather and thermal inversion. Madrid has very clear skies, it is…
> She acts on feeling and ideology. Facts care very little to her. A prior lawyer, judge and member of the General Council of the Judiciary – with a total judicial career of 29 years – cares not for facts?
You know Spain too little my friend!