Design of sustainable urban transport infrastructures: A real case application in Italy

The new look of urban transportation planning has the main aim to propose sustainable solutions. This aim is particulate suitable for the high congested areas. Within this goal, the East area of the city of Naples, in South of Italy, with over 11 inhabitants per km2 and daily road congestion problems was a useful case study to test transport sustainable solutions. Starting from the congested current condition, according to the actual circulating solution (e.g. traffic-lighted intersections), the level of service was investigated. The results showed the congestion level up to 90% in the peak hours. On this basis, it was decided to design a complex design scenario to reduce traffic congestion in the area. At large roundabout, new path, rational bus stops and all the necessary pedestrian crossings infrastructures were designed according to rational criteria. A wide survey campaign and traffic counts were also performed in order to better estimate both current and future traffic flows through macroscopic simulation models. The results of the simulation show that the solution identified will solve both the current traffic congestions and will allow to ensure acceptable levels of service also in a future scenario when the planned new activities in the area will be completed