Step by step, Vilnius City Council is striving to become a more sustainable and climate-neutral city. Starting this year, the capital is participating in the LIFE GreenMe5 project, which will aim to reduce noise and air pollution on one of its streets. Successful measures are planned to be applied to other Vilnius streets.
Step by step, Vilnius City Council is striving to become a more sustainable and climate-neutral city. Starting this year, the capital is participating in the LIFE GreenMe5 project, which will aim to reduce noise and air pollution on one of its streets. Successful measures are planned to be applied to other Vilnius streets.
"Vilnius City Council is a signatory to the Green City Agreement and has committed to taking steps to reduce air and noise pollution, use water efficiently, promote a circular economy, and maintain biodiversity in the city. With LIFE GreenMe5, we are taking real steps to implement this agreement," says Andrius Grigonis, Deputy Mayor of Vilnius, who is leading the project.
The street where the pilot measures will be implemented has been chosen based on noise and pollution levels, traffic intensity, the number of people living nearby, the street's infrastructure, and the city's plans for the area. The data is analyzed by ID Vilnius, a company owned by Vilnius City Council. A pilot street for the project is expected to be selected within a few months.
The pilot street where the measures will be implemented was chosen based on noise and pollution levels, traffic volume, the number of people living nearby, street infrastructure, and the city's plans for the area. The data is analyzed by ID Vilnius, a company owned by Vilnius City Council. A pilot street will be selected for the project in a few months.
"Vilnius residents are probably wondering which street we will choose for the pilot project. At the moment, we are analyzing the data, assessing where it would make the most sense to test different air and noise pollution reduction measures, and evaluating their impact and effectiveness under different conditions. We want to involve the local community and the residents of the surrounding homes in this project," says Giedrius Kavaliauskas, Chief Specialist of the Project Management Unit at Vilnius City Hall and Project Manager of the LIFE GreenMe5 project.
Once a street is selected, it will be equipped with noise and air pollution sensors. Air and noise pollution levels will be accurately measured at different times of day and on different days of the week.
Various measures will then be taken to mitigate noise and air pollution, such as landscaping the street, introducing various traffic restrictions, encouraging residents who frequently travel on the street to minimize car use, and so on.
"One of the main sources of noise in the city is automobile traffic. The same goes for air pollution. That's why we want to find the most effective measures to create a quiet street with clean air," says Emilis Tamošiūnas, Chief Specialist of the Environmental Program and Planting Management Unit.
After each change is applied, the air and noise pollution indicators of the selected street will be analyzed.
Residents will also be able to track them on the City Lungs app, which provides real-time data on air pollution and pollen concentrations in Vilnius from 34 sensors. A test street will also be included on the map, but noise will also be measured there.
The project is funded by the EU LIFE programme. The total project value is €257.600.000, 60% of which is EU funding.
Vilnius has plans to reduce noise and air pollution. Noise walls, buffer planting, perimeter development along streets, and sound-insulating materials on the facades of buildings facing the street are effective ways to reduce noise. At the same time, the windows and balconies of those living next to noisy streets are being replaced and balconies are being glazed. This has been done in the reconstruction of Laisvės Avenue, the intersections of Ukmergės and Ateities Streets, and Oslo Street.
Noise barriers have recently been installed on Žirnių Street, and the same is planned for Oslo Street. The reconstruction project for Geležinio Vilko Street, near Vingis Park, also includes measures to reduce traffic noise in Vingis Park, for example by laying special noise-reducing asphalt.
Recommendations for reducing air pollution in Vilnius also focus on traffic pollution. Private and commercial transport accounts for the majority of pollution—96%—and public transport only 4%. Therefore, the city is prioritizing the promotion of public transport and less polluting modes of transportation: new buses and trolleybuses with lower pollution levels, more convenient routes and schedules for residents, new bike lanes, charging stations for electric cars, automated traffic management, and spring street cleaning to minimize dust.
LIFE GreenMe5 will help evaluate the effectiveness of some of the measures.
“We have a number of measures based on the practices of other countries, but we haven't studied which ones would be most effective in addressing air and noise pollution on streets. We hope to use this evidence to redesign other streets and make them quieter and cleaner,” said Tamošiūnas. “LIFE GreenMe5 aims to bring about changes in five areas: reducing air and noise pollution, promoting biodiversity, managing water resources, and fostering a circular economy. In addition to Vilnius, municipal administrations from Spain, Italy, and Sweden are participating in the project. Each has chosen to make changes in one of these five areas.”
€100 has been allocated to co-finance the project in accordance with the Ministry of the Environment's "Procedure for the Allocation of Co-financing to Projects under the Environment and Climate Policy (LIFE) Program." The project will last four years.