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2013

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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/44528

Effects of the 80 km/h and variable speed limits on air pollution in the metropolitan area of Barcelona

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Abstract

In 2008 the regional government of Catalonia (Spain) reduced the maximum speed limit on several stretches of congested urban motorway in the Barcelona metropolitan area to 80 km/h, while in 2009 it introduced a variable speed system on other stretches of its metropolitan motorways. We use the differences-in-differences method, which enables a policy impact to be measured under specific conditions, to assess the impact of these policies on emissions of NOx and PM10. Empirical estimation indicate that reducing the speed limit to 80 km h-1 causes a 1.7 to 3.2% increase in NOx and 5.3 to 5.9% in PM10. By contrast, the variable speed policy reduced NOx and PM10 pollution by 7.7 to 17.1% and 14.5 to 17.3%. As such, a variable speed policy appears to be a more effective environmental policy than reducing the speed limit to a maximum of 80 km/h.

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2013.04.005

Subject

Velocitat, Qualitat de l'aire, Barcelona (Catalunya : Àrea metropolitana), Automòbils

Subject (English)

Speed, Air quality, Barcelona (Catalonia : Metropolitan area), Automobiles

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Articles publicats en revistes (Econometria, Estadística i Economia Aplicada)

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BEL I QUERALT, Germà and ROSELL I SEGURA, Jordi. Effects of the 80 km/h and variable speed limits on air pollution in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. 2013. Vol. 23, num. 90-97. ISSN 1361-9209. [consulted: 8 of October of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/44528

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