Argentina - GEF Sustainable Transport and Air Quality Project : environmental assessment (Vol. 7) : Proyecto transporte urbano para areas metropolitanas (Spanish)

The development objectives of the GEF Sustainable Transport and Air Quality Project of Argentina are: (i) Reducing GHG emission growth rate through the promotion of long term increase in patronage of less energy intensive transport modes in cities; and... See More + The development objectives of the GEF Sustainable Transport and Air Quality Project of Argentina are: (i) Reducing GHG emission growth rate through the promotion of long term increase in patronage of less energy intensive transport modes in cities; and (ii) Inducing policy changes in favor of sustainable transport projects. Four metropolitan areas have been pre-identified, Rosario, Cordoba, Tucuman and Posadas, to participate in the Argentina GEF Sub-Program, on the basis of the following characteristics: (i) they are economic and governmental centers at the national or regional level, (ii) the municipal governments are committed to addressing environmental and sustainable transport issues, and (iii) they comply with the federal regulation and are entitled to prepare projects for the World Bank. The project is expected to have positive environmental impact in the long-run, since it aims at improving the quality of public transport and non-motorized transport systems and improve traffic safety. The project is designed to have a positive long-term impact owing to the reduction of global and local emissions currently present in selected cities. The reduction will be directly linked to improved vehicle operation, reduced trip lengths, use of more efficient modes of transport and improved technologies. However there are negative impacts to the project. Such direct impacts are expected to occur during construction and cause localized negative environmental impacts. Such impacts are expected to consist essentially of noise, vibration, dust, and traffic disruption. Additional negative impacts during construction will occur due to haulage and final disposal of materials. Most of these impacts can be mitigated by proper implementation of the environmental and social manuals that have been prepared for this project.  See Less -