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8.3.1 Air Quality
TheLTP Air Quality Strategy is expected to have a positive effect on local airquality across all of the WMMA, with a combination of policies and measureswhich aim to tackle poor air quality. Other strategy elements compliment theair quality strategy, such as those promoting a reduction in congestion andemissions and promoting more sustainable modes of transport. Alternative, lesspolluting fuels, will also be promoted by the Metropolitan authorities, which shouldfurther contribute to reduced emissions.
However,the target to “_reduce the average levelof NO_2 _by 1% between 2004 and 2010 in the areas where NO_2 _exceeds the national objective_” is not ambitious enough todrive forward the improvements necessary to achieve the LTP vision of havingcleaner air, particularly for an area such as Burges in Coventry City Centre whichhas NO2 levels 81% above the target annual mean.
Theemphasis of the LTP on improving public transport (and to a lesser extentwalking and cycling) should help to reduce peopleÂ’s reliance on car transport,free up the roads, and so help to reduce congestion. This should, in turn have health benefits,particularly for people living closest to roads that are currently heavilytrafficked and/or congested. Airpollution is likely to decrease, at least in the short term, in areas wherecongestion was a problem and where traffic is freed up as the result oftransport improvements. However, other measures will be required which canlock-in these benefits, by preventing induced traffic from simply filling upthe vacated road space.
Majorschemes included in the LTP are likely to affect AQMAs in Birmingham,Coventry, Dudley and Wolverhampton.The AQMAs in Sandwell and Walsall do not havemajor schemes directly associated with them. Most of the major schemes whichare associated within AQMAs are expected to have a minor or moderate positiveeffect on the AQMA, although there is uncertainty with some schemes (e.g. Longbridge Link Road,(Birmingham),and Owen Street Level Crossing Relief Road, (Sandwell)) where induced trafficmay result in an increase in overall emissions.
The proposed public transport projects could alsoincrease air pollution problems if measures are not taken to use low emissionbuses and prevent additional traffic from taking up any road space freed up bythese public transport measures.
TheLTP provides little detail on the role that low polluting vehicle fleets canplay in helping to reduce the levels of transport related air pollution. Thiscould be within the transport fleets operated by the local authorities, andalso within the vehicles operated by service providers (e.g. specify Euro IV busesfor new bus contracts).