The GOAL Project (Gesund Ohne Auto und Lärm – Healthy without Car and Noise) focused primarily on the problems created by transport and noise for the population's quality of life and well-being.

Crucial elements of the project were information, awareness raising and the opportunity to test a "new behaviour of transport". People were motivated to " be active themselves" to enhance their own health and fitness. Thus the transfer of motion became a central theme. The innovative approach of the project consists in elaborating actions mainly focusing on fulfilling the individual's self-interest while pointing out to the individual that the individual's self-interest is in alignment with public interest. An optimal combination was enabled by the opportunity to link the fields of transport / mobility and motion / health and well-being.

Guidance is offered on different initiatives to reduce noise, increase exercise and reduce private road transport. See website and documents for full details.

One of the projects results is on online noise simulation programme, also available on CD-ROM, that encourages people to simulate the noise situation on roads.

The project GOAL – Gesund Ohne Auto und Lärm (Healthy without Car and Noise) – was a significant milestone for the City of Graz, the areas of health-mobility-environment being interwoven effectively and efficiently.
Results: 861,000 kilometres (appr. 535,025 miles) covered by car were saved by projects implemented in the course of GOAL. This means 120 tons of CO2, 0.47 tons of NOx and 0.39 tons of VOC were saved. Among three quarters of those participating in the movement modules, the body fat values were reduced. The transfer of motion into everyday mobility increased the fitness of 3 among 4 participants. This circumstance makes this programme particularly recommendable for companies.

In the Brucknerstraße, in particular, the residents' satisfaction relating to the noise situation could be increased by 30%. Objectively the noise was reduced by 2 dB(A) for appr. 2000 inhabitants in this area. For further results, see the website and final report.

Citizens, children, users of urban transport

This is an EC supported project under the LIFE programme.
Sustainable urban transport policies are relevant to EC laws on the air quality and noise.

Stadt Graz – Umweltamt, Graz, Austria
Ms Michaela Wriessnegger, tel. +43 316 8724303

01/01/2001

case

Urban Policy > Urban environment > Environmental sustainability

Noise