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BUDAPEST METRO LINE 4 FEASIBILITY STUDY Oktober 1996 |
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In addition to the standard economic cost benefits, other benefits, or disbenefits, quantifiable or not directly quantifiable are evaluated: benefits from employment generated during the metro construction period, planning and environmental benefits when the line will be under operation, as follows: Benefits from generated employment
In addition to the standard economic cost benefit
analysis for the project, there are further quantifiable benefits
with respect to the provision of employment during the construction
period, which are assessed separately.
Estimates of the employment generated by the project
show that construction of the main Kelenföld-Keleti alignment
generates some 6,400 person-years of employment during the construction
period. This includes 4,000 person-years for the civil works
and installation of the technical equipment, 2000 person-years
for the auxiliary services generated off site, and 400 person-years
for design, supervision etc. Employment provided by other alternatives
is estimated pro-rata to the main alternative based on the construction
costs as follows:
* Employment generated for the construction
The generation of employment produces two types of
financial benefits to the society as follows: Reduced unemployment costs.
Contribution to the society through taxes and social
security deductions from gross wages. Data with regards to the above was provided by the Hungarian Ministry of Finance and was incorporated in the assessment of the benefits from generated employment. Based on the data provided, on average the costs of an unemployed person to the government in unemployment benefit payments, social security contributions and administrative costs is estimated as 240,000 HuF (1,300 ECU) per year. Furthermore, the total contributions made by an employed person and his/her employee in both personal income tax and various contributions to welfare, healthcare, public pension funds and the 'Labour Market Fund', on average amounts to some 527,000 (2,800 ECU) per year. Therefore the financial benefits, to the society, of providing employment amounts to some 770,000 HuF (4,200 ECU) per year.
The above figures were incorporated in the analysis,
taking account of overall growth in the economy and its effect
on wages. It was assumed that whilst the wages of the employed
increases with the GDP growth rates, the unemployment benefit
payments increase by half of the growth in GDP.
Incorporating these assumptions our analysis show
that the benefits resulting from employment generated by the construction
of the metro line ranges from 18 M ECU (based on the low growth
scenario and the partial alignment, discounted to 1996) to 28
M ECU (High growth and extended alignment, discounted to 1996).
Table D-7 provides a summary of the benefits for all the alternatives
being considered.
Notes: All figures are total benefits over the
construction period in Million ECU, discounted to 1996 It must be noted that further, not quantified benefits will be generated as the earned income by those employed is spent, resulting in further prosperity (albeit on a small scale) and a further level of employment Planning issues
Complementing the station characteristics of service
described within Section B, the following comments illustrate
the urban planning effects of the alignment implementation. Planning Implications of Option Refinement
The Stage 1 studies concluded that whatever public
transport options were taken forward within the South West Corridor
should form an integral element of an overall land use/transportation
strategy and that any investment in public transport is generally
positive in planning terms.
Within this broad context, further detailed discussions
with the City Municipality and a review of the planning and development
potential within the broad corridor from Keleti station via Móricz
Zsigmond Circus to Kelenföld station confirm that any Metro
line 4 alignment will be generally consistent with overall Master
Plan strategy. However, at the more detailed local plan level, greater distinctions may be drawn between the potential effects of alternative options upon planning and development factors. The following paragraphs briefly examine the likely effects of the selected Tétényi alignment optimisation following the Stage 1 studies. Main alignment - Kelenföld station to Keleti station
Kelenföld station is seen as the main interchange
point with heavy rail services, particularly if these were to
become more concentrated on this location. P+R facilities could
also serve inbound traffic from the west and the south-west via
the M1/M7 corridor and Kelenföld is likely to be by far the
most significant P+R location on the Metro alignment.
There would also be considerable potential for station-related
development and redevelopment at Kelenföld station, including
podium development above the Metro depot. Urban and environmental
improvements would also be envisaged in and around Etele square
and redevelopment could also be stimulated along Vasút
road and part of Bartók Béla (South). Interchange
with surface modes, suitably rationalised in the light of Metro
provision, would continue.
Tétényi station is located at the junction
of Tétényi road and Etele road. Providing an alternative
option for any future southward extension towards Albertfalva/Budafök,
this station is well placed to serve the main high-density population
catchment within the Kelenföld area. There is potential
for direct station-related development at the Tétényi
road/Etele road intersection and provision of Metro could also
provide the stimulus for higher density redevelopment south of
Etele road.
As with the next Kosztolányi and Móricz
Zsigmond stations, P+R potential is limited, but there could be
some prospect of providing such facilities to serve northbound
traffic from Albertfalva/Budafök via Tétényi
road (south) and/or Fehérvári road.
A short distance to the south west, Kosztolányi
station also provides the basis for further potential planning
and development changes. In close proximity to Móricz
Zsigmond, these two stations should be considered together. Improved
public transport links with the transition zone and potential
development area on the west bank of the Danube could be focused
upon them, including the Bocskai road/ Október 23 road
link with the University campus and Petöfi bridge.
Móricz Zsigmond circus would be likely to
be the most significant station location on the Buda side other
than Kelenföld. There is considered to be significant potential
for station-related development and redevelopment in association
with interchange between Metro and existing surface modes and
urban/ environmental improvements.
Gellért station is the last station serving
the XI District, before crossing the Danube. Given the sensitive
nature of this riverfront location at the foot of Gellért
hills juxtapose with the World Heritage site, there is little
or no prospect for significant station-related development. There
would, however, be considerable opportunity for urban and environmental
improvements at Gellért square and along Bartók
Béla road in conjunction with Metro construction.
At Fövám, the potential for station-related
development may be more limited since the site is in a riverfront
location opposite Gellért hills and the World Heritage
site. However, the station will be very well situated with respect
to interchange links between Metro and north/south surface modes.
The existing market also provides a focal point for socio-economic
activity.
The Kálvin square station is likely to be
the most important on the Pest side other than Baross square.
Providing direct interchange capabilities with Metro line 3 and
existing surface modes at the junction of Múzeum Krt (the
inner ring route) and Ullöi road (the main south east transition
zone/ airport radial route), this location offers considerable
potential for station-related development and re-development,
together with urban improvement schemes associated with Metro
construction. This station also marks the point at which the
alignment crosses into District IX.
Within District VIII, station locations at Köztársaság
Square and Rákóczi Square may be expected to provide
a stimulus for station-related development and more generalised
support for socio-economic enhancement within the area. Opportunities
for surface level environmental improvements should also be forthcoming
and the Rákóczi Square may be expected to provide
a stimulus for station related development and more generalised
support for socio-economic enhancement within the area. Opportunities
for surface level environmental improvements should also be forthcoming
and the Rákóczi station could prove particularly
important in terms of providing a focus for development and additional
public transport interchange (being located on the József
Krt city centre ring route). Location of the initial station at Baross Square will provide direct interchange with Metro line 2, heavy rail services from Keleti station and surface modes at this existing key public transport focus. Given that the Keleti station area is already a centre of considerable social and economic activity, Metro line 4 is unlikely to further stimulate significant new development interest. It may, however, enhance existing prospects and provide additional scope for surface level environmental improvements in conjunction with Metro construction. Extension to Budaörs
The extension of Metro line 4 across the rail/road
corridor at Kelenföld would help to break down a considerable
physical and psychological barrier in the area. With one intermediate stop at Gazdagrét, a station at Budaörs would better serve the area in general and provide the basis for the rationalisation of and interchange with Volán services and local routes from the western hills area.
The potential for station-related development and
associated urban/ environmental improvements would be somewhat
limited, although any depot provision to service the extension
could assist in this regard. There might also be scope for enhancing
P+R facilities to serve the Route 100 radial. In planning and development, it is concluded that the option of providing the Budaörs extension offers potential benefits and should be seriously considered. Kelenföld station - Kálvin square only
In terms of cost reduction, one option would be to
implement this section of the alignment only.
Whilst such a route might continue to effectively
serve the Buda side and enable the inner city to be accessed via
interchange of Kálvin square, the necessary socio-economic/environmental
stimulus which Metro would provide to District VIII and the wider
city centre area would be absent and the direct linkage to Metro
line 2, heavy rail and the eastern city suburbs and hinterland
omitted. Any future /Metro extension towards the NE Corridor
would also be negated. In planning and development terms, all of this would be a considerable disadvantage and it is concluded that this option should not be pursued further. Two Staged Construction - Kelenföld station - Kálvin square and Kálvin square - Keleti station
A further alternative to spread construction costs
over a longer period would be staged construction. Whilst in
the short term, District VIII might be disadvantaged as described
above, there would not be any likely long term adverse planning
or development impacts. Environmental issuesIntroduction
This section summarises a preliminary environmental
impact appraisal of the project. It concerns assessments related
to noise, vibrations and air pollution, supplemented by site visits
and meetings held at the Budapest Municipality with the Department
for Settlement Protection, and the Department for Environmental
Protection representatives. An environmental reconnaissance of
the main street sections likely to be involved in the project
completed these assessments. In accordance with the Terms of
Reference, the preliminary environmental impact appraisal aims
at identifying all the main environmental impacts. It should
be noticed that this appraisal cannot be considered as the Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) required by the Hungarian law, but is
supposed to provide the main inputs of the EIA to come further.
The area of interest for environmental issues -as
defined here- is limited to the areas covered by the project alignment
and its immediate vicinity.
First, this chapter describes the main environmental
constraints to be taken into consideration in the study area:
cultural heritage and monuments, archaeological sites, green areas,
and hydrothermal sources. Afterwards, it outlines the present
situation with regard to the main impacts of traffic in Budapest:
air pollution, noise and vibrations. At the Feasibility Study
stage, it is considered not relevant to deal with other environmental
parameters.
Basically, the choice of the metro option already
reflects the will of selecting the less detrimental option on
an environmental standpoint. Compared to surface transport modes,
this option does not generate tram or LRT usual disturbances such
as: noise, visual impact, electromagnetic and radiophonic disturbances,
severance effect (community disruptions), land expropriation including
green areas or private lots, and safety issues linked with dense
urban traffic. Compared to buses, and making abstraction to transport
capacity, the metro option allows improvements in traffic decongestion
and air pollution restriction. Thus, the preliminary assessment presents the project detrimental effects, but also the positive impacts of the project. Within the frame adopted for the description of the environmental context of the project, the appraisal addresses successively the impacts of the project on the main environmental features of the study area, and the influence of the new metro line on the traffic related impacts over the area. Finally, some recommendations would support the further EIA to come. Main Environmental Constraints in the Study Area
The city of Budapest is famous for the high value
of its architectural heritage, which attracts an increasing number
of foreign tourists every year. This exceptional situation led
UNESCO to register the two banks of the Danube river inside the
city centre in the World Cultural Heritage.
The area declared World Cultural Heritage includes,
among others: the Parliament House, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Concert Hall and the inner city Parish Church on the left bank,
the Castle Hill, the Gellért Hill and the
Budapest Technical University on the right bank.
This area corresponds approximately to the perimeter
defined by the Hungarian State as the National Heritage Area.
According to the Hungarian legislation, and in line with the
UNESCO requirements, this area is strictly protected in terms
of land occupation, buildings, green areas and landscapes. The
public or private works planned in this area are subject to prior
authorisation by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
In addition to the definition of National Heritage
Area, sites and monuments are protected by either specific State
Regulations (Historic Monuments) or by the Municipality Regulations
(the latter being less demanding). Each historic monument has
a protection perimeter, the limit of which is variable from one
monument to another. In the project vicinity, from North to South, the metro project passes
the following protected monuments and sites (see also Figure 1):
In general terms, the study area is not much sensitive
in terms of archaeological protection. The Pest area is indeed
the former bed of the Danube river, and thus no human settlements
were possible till recently. The same applies to South Buda,
which was a swampy area during a long period. On the left bank, the metro alignment does not pass either the medieval city wall or the identified Roman vestiges. On the right bank, at the foot of Gellért Hill, some archaeological sites may be found, because of the use of the thermal springs since the Middle Age.
As for the cultural heritage, the natural heritage
benefits from two levels of protection: a State level, concerning National Parks, Regional Parks and Nature Reserves outside cities, Protected Natural Resources and Protected Areas in cities;
a Municipality level, covering Protected Natural
Resources and Protected Areas as well. And here again the Regulations from the State are "stronger" than those under the responsibility of the Municipalities. However, as a general rule, no change in land use or occupation is admitted in these areas.
The Budapest green areas and parks are of great ecological
interest. For example, more than 1/5 of the plant species protected
in Hungary can be found in Budapest. As showed on Figure 2,
the protected areas and natural resources are mainly concentrated
in North Buda and Obuda districts.
Because it is a relatively densely built-up area,
the project corridor does not include many zones of natural interest.
None of them are located on the Pest side. On the Buda side,
Gellért Hill area concentrates some of the most conspicuous
natural resources in the city: Gellért Hill itself is a Protected Area, under national protection since 1995, for its scenic, ecological and botanical value; Gellért Hill cave (St Ivan Cave), under national protection, shelters the rock chapel of the Paulite order;
Gellért Bath and Rudas Bath, under municipal
protection, among the most famous Budapest's thermal springs.
Protection covers the natural yield of springs, water quality,
physical and chemical properties and the hydrogeological features
of catchment areas. Over 1,400 ligneous species are found at the Buda Arboretum or the University of Horticulture and Food, south of Gellért Hill. Environmental Impacts of the Transport Sector in Budapest
Like other big cities in Europe, Budapest suffers
from relatively heavy air pollution, mainly caused by traffic.
According to the seasons, traffic accounts for 60 to 70 % of
the total air pollution.
Main pollutants involved are carbon monoxide (CO),
hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), lead, benzene and particles
generated by diesel vehicles.
As all Eastern European countries till recently,
air quality and vehicle emissions were governed by very demanding
norms and standards which could not be respected or enforced.
Hungary has now adopted the standards of the European Community,
widely inspired by the recommendations of the World Health Organisation.
However, the E.C. norms are still difficult to enforce, especially
for NO and NO2 the concentrations of which are most
often higher than the maximum admissible value. This problem
seems to result mainly from the stagnation of ozone (O3) in summer,
which contributes to the formation of nitrogen oxides.
There are several air pollution monitoring stations
in Budapest, three of them are located in the project corridor.
The data given monthly by Kosztolányi square and Baross
square monitoring stations for March and June 1996 show that pollutant
concentrations were significantly higher in March than in June,
on account of additional pollution brought by heating in buildings.
Between the two areas under consideration, Baross square is by
far the most polluted, leading to the conclusion that -on the
basis of the considered data- the Pest side is more polluted than
the Buda side. The monthly maximum values for NO2
exceed admissible levels by 30 %.
The assessment of air pollution carried out by the
local Consultant on the basis of vehicle emissions for the year
1995 shows that the most polluted street sections in the study
area are located on both banks of the river, with: Szabad Sajto avenue, Kossuth L. avenue, Karoly ring road, and Muzeum ring road on the Pest side,
Bartók Béla avenue (first section),
Október 23 avenue and Irinyi Jozsef avenue on the Buda
side.
At the peak hour, Szabad Sajto av., Október
23 av. and Irinyi Jozsef av. are the most polluted. On the whole, air pollution is directly related to traffic figures. Some differences appear in the respective distribution of pollutants, especially between gaseous (CO, HC, NO2) and particle emissions. These differences mainly result from bus traffic, which is considerable in some street sections and a major source of particle emission.
Opinion polls often present noise as the main environmental
problem linked with the transport sector. Residents living in
main streets are indeed especially concerned by this nuisance.
Usually, it is considered that at levels above 60 dB(A) in the
daytime (in Leq 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.), noise becomes noticeable
and that over 65 dB(A), it can be considered as a real disturbance.
Heavy vehicles account for a significant part of
the overall noise level and are often the target of complaints
from residents. In Budapest, the dense bus network is a major
source of noise. However, compared to the tramways currently being
operated in the city, buses appear rather quiet. Noise levels
induced by the contact between rails and tramway wheels are particularly
high. The intensity of noise recorded by the Municipality Department
of Environment at Kosztolányi Dezsö square reached
95 dB (A) as peak value, in front of building façades...
The legal requirements for admissible noise levels
are set by the ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare
No 4/1984.(L.23).Eü.M. According to this ordinance, the equivalent
sound pressure (Leq) generated by traffic for newly planned areas
and in areas with changes in land use, should not exceed: 65 dB(A) in the daytime (for a Leq 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.),
55 dB(A) during the night (for a Leq 10 p.m.- 6
a.m.). The local Consultant's evaluation shows that, in the present situation, nearly all the street sections in the study area experience noise levels already exceeding 65 dB(A). Only some sections of Etele Street can be considered relatively quiet. On the other street sections, noise levels average 73 dB(A) during the day, 67.3 dB(A) during the night, exceeding the admissible limit by up to 15 dB(A) during the night. These average noise levels are not exclusive of the study area and can be regarded as characteristic values for all the main streets in the city. Vibration phenomena do not involve private cars, but only heavy vehicles and public transport. In Budapest, these nuisances are mainly caused by tramways. In this respect, the metro lines are deemed less detrimental than trams because of their depth, except Line 1 which is very close to the surface. Owing to the absorption capability of their tyres and their lighter weight, vibrations generated by buses and trucks are usually lower.
The vibrations induced by irregular wheel/rail contact
are directly transmitted to the underlying concrete structure
of the street, and then to the nearest buildings. If no "buffer
zone" such as green areas comes in between the vibration
source and the buildings, serious disturbances to residents and
damage to buildings can occur. In worst cases, cracks can appear
on building façades, as observed at the University Library
in Budapest. Nevertheless, this problem is most often limited.
According to the Hungarian legislation, to prevent
building damage, the peak value for the vertical speed of vibrations
must not exceed 10 mm/sec. (80 dB). In some of the West European
countries, for a building close to a tramway line, it is considered
that the vibration speed measured on the floor must be lower than
or equal to 68 dB as average peak value (i.e. 4 mm/sec.). The evaluation conducted on the project corridor indicates vibration levels reaching 65-70 dB on the main avenues in the daytime, reaching up to 72 dB in the first section of Etele street and in Vasut street, with significant differences (from 1.5 to 29 dB) between street sections with tramway infrastructures and sections without trams. Thus, Szabad Sajto avenue, which shows the heaviest traffic in the city but has no tramway line, is not much affected by vibration issues. On average, the streets with trams experience vibration levels of approximately 69.2 dB in day time, exceeding the usual West European standards. The worst situation occurs in the first section of Etele street owing to the short headway between trams (4 tram lines on this section), and in Vasut street due to the street narrowness and the vicinity of the railway tracks. Impacts of the Metro Line 4 on the Heritage Elements of the City
Being underground, the metro project will not directly
affect the buildings of the study area. No demolition is planned
yet. However, during the construction period, some of the metro
stations will be built using cut-and-cover methods, less expensive
than tunnel boring. The result of such construction type is the
suppression - at least temporarily - of all the buildings in the
project right-of-way. In the framework of Metro line 4 project,
most of the project is located deep enough to necessitate boring
techniques, mostly because of the Danube river crossing.
On Buda side, the cut and cover construction, whatever
the damages on existing buildings will be, will not concern the
cultural and historical heritage of the city. In fact, at the
southern end of the project, the metro alignment runs along Etele
street, and the closest blocks of flats may not have to suffer
from the works, assuming that the building site will not exceed
the street width. The problem of possible damages linked with
vibrations caused by the metro while operating is dealt with further
in paragraph 2.1.5.
Apart from the problems of possible demolition or
vibrations, special attention must be paid to the visual integration
of the entrances/exits of the metro stations, knowing that these
are the only marks of the metro presence within the city landscape.
Good examples of what not to do (i.e. stations of bad visual
integration) are said to be Moszkva station and Kossuth L. station
(M2 line).
The eastern terminal of the new metro line is planned
to be connected with the Keleti station. Knowing that this station
is part of the city listed monuments, specific measures will have
to be taken to avoid any damage or change in the building architecture
and surrounding landscape. Every new installation placed within
the monument protection perimeter will first need the agreement
of the relevant authorities. The architect in charge of the Historic
Monuments will supervise the works. Along the metro alignment, other entrances/exits and related installations are likely to be implanted within the protection perimeter of monuments or within the World Cultural Heritage zone. All these installations will have to be located, dimensioned and designed according to the architectural character of the area.
Large infrastructure projects usually necessitate
considerable earth works, which are potentially much damaging
for archaeological vestiges. It is especially the case of cut-and-cover
modes of construction, which need to remove significant volumes
of soil at a shallow depth with high potential of ancient vestiges.
As indicated in the description of the environmental
context of the project, the study area does not show a high sensitivity
on an archaeological standpoint, except at the foot of Gellért
Hill. At that place, the metro line will be implanted rather deep
(about 40 m deep),owing to the Danube river crossing. Therefore,
the risks of impact of the infrastructure on hypothetical vestiges
seem negligible. It must be however reminded that the Archaeological Services of the Budapest Municipality must be informed about the works start, and that every fortuitous discovery of archaeological vestiges must be immediately declared to them.
Within the study area, the Pest side is of minor
ecological importance. In Buda, the Gellért Hill area
is contrarily of high natural interest. All the natural resources
located at the surface level - mainly green areas - will not be
touched by the metro alignment. Underground, the situation is
different. It can be assumed that St Ivan Cave, which opens 25
m above the Danube level and stretches northwards, will not be
concerned by the project.
For the Gellért thermal springs, the project
influence is more difficult to foresee. These mineral waters
are of international renown and their importance to the historical
heritage of Budapest in general, and to the Gellért establishment
in particular, are considerable. If during the construction or
operating period of the metro the yeld, water quality, physical
or chemical properties of the springs were changed, the heritage
and economic losses would be incalculable. Nevertheless, on the
basis of the information provided by the Department for Environmental
Protection of the Budapest Municipality, the flow direction of
the springs is on the whole southwards, so that the metro alignment
will be located downstream with no risk of intercepting the flows.
In order to prevent any risks of disruption of the thermal springs, a suitably qualified hydrogeologist must carry out during the design stages of the project a detailed environmental assessment, determining the actual impacts of the metro construction and operation, as well as the mitigating measures to be implemented, including a possible shift of the project alignment. Impacts of the New Metro Line on Transport Sector Pollution and DisturbancesFigure D-1 to D-3 summarise the overall environmental factors for the current situation, the further 2020 situation being assumed without the Metro line project and the year 2020 situation with the metro line. Details were including within the Working Paper TP06 issued beginning of September 1996.
According to the assumptions made by the local Consultant,
and despite an overall increase in the traffic flows averaging
38 % for cars and 11 % for heavy vehicles, the air pollution linked
to the transport sector in the study area should considerably
decrease by the year 2020. On average this decrease will reach
92 % for CO emission, 94 % for HC emission, 66 % for NO2
emission, and 67 % for particles (soot). This drastic evolution
can be explained by the progressive introduction of catalytic
converters and other recent technology on every new vehicle, assuming
that the vehicle fleet will be entirely equipped with such device
by 2020 (this period covering two generations of cars), whereas
the rate of catalytic converter in the present fleet - which includes
a considerable percentage of old Eastern countries models -does
not exceed 15 %.
This forecast can however be considered as rather
optimistic, knowing that in Western capital cities the emission
levels of air pollutants linked with the transport sector still
increases, even slightly, whereas catalytic converters are already
wide-spread and despite the strong commitments taken by these
governments since the Rio Conference (1992). The introduction of the new metro line will not change significantly the air pollution level in the study area, mainly because of the low forecast transfer from cars to this transport mode (approximately 1.5 %). The impact might be perceptible for particle emission, owing to the replacement of part of the bus fleet by the new metro line. This decrease would reach up to 35 % in Fehérvári avenue.
By the year 2020, and without considering the implementation
of Metro line 4, the noise levels will increase for day time or
night time by about 1 dB (A) on average, due to the overall increase
in the traffic flows, and especially because of a rise in the
trams number. This means that the present degraded situation
will continue to deteriorate in the future. This noise increase
will be especially perceptible on the Buda side (up to +2.6 dB
(A) in Etele street and in Bartók B. avenue), whereas it
will remain stable or will slightly increase on the Pest side.
In fact the evolution of the noise levels will remain
tightly linked with the evolution of traffic flows, assuming that
there will not be significant improvements in the vehicle noise
emission and in the carriage way condition. As such, the resulting
figures can be regarded as high scenario results. The impact of Metro line 4 will be in favour of a general reduction of noise levels in the study area, averaging 1.4 dB (A) during day time and 1.7 dB (A) during night time. On the whole, and according to the local Consultant assumptions, the implementation of the metro project will therefore offset the deterioration linked with the overall traffic increase and will even lead to a slight improvement compared to the present situation. This good result is explained by the partial replacement of the bus and tram lines by the future metro line. This will benefit in particular to the Buda area, especially Vamhaz ring-road (up to -5.2 dB (A) in night time) and Museum ring-road (up to -3.8 dB (A) in night time).
According to the assessment conducted by the local
Consultant, by the year 2020, the vibration level alongside the
street of the study area will average 72.2 dB in day time for
the street sections with trams, that is to say an increase of
3 dB compared to the present situation. In the streets without
trams, the situation will not change significantly The main explanation
to that increase lies on the trams headway which would double
by the year 2020. Bartók B. avenue and Vasut street will
still remain the most impacted streets, with vibration levels
reaching 75.1 dB. It must be noted that these high values will
still fit according to Hungarian standards.
These results are based on the assumption that no
noticeable improvement will be implemented for tramway tracks
or rolling stock till 2020. As for the forecast of noise levels,
this must be considered as a pessimistic standpoint, corresponding
to a high scenario.
While operating, the new metro would replace the
tram lines n°47 and 49. In such conditions, a dominant vibration
source would disappear along Bartók B. avenue, Szabadság
Bridge, Vamhaz avenue and Muzeum avenue. Though the metro is
itself a source of vibrations, because of the depth of the new
line, the outcome will be positive. In concrete terms, with respect
to the assessment performed by the local Consultant, the new metro
line will result in the decrease of tram vibration levels by 6
dB in day time and 5.7 dB in night time on average over the study
area, whereas by the same time the metro will generate an overall
increase of 3.6 dB in day time and 3.1 dB in night time over the
same area. The final result shows an overall reduction of 2.4
dB in day time and 2.6 dB on night time.
If refined, this overall result indicates that the
significant decreases obtained in the Pest side (up to -23.1 dB
in Muzeum ring-road) are partly offset by the rise in the tram
frequency of lines n°18 and 19 and the appearance of significant
vibration levels in some streets of the Buda area due to the metro
operation. In fact, vibration levels may increase by up to 17.9
dB in Etele street and 17.5 dB in Tétényi street,
but without exceeding the value of 63.7 dB in the worst case.
Thus, these increases should not have any detrimental effect
on nearby buildings and resident comfort. In addition, it must
be pointed out that these results are based here also on pessimistic
assumptions, considering the new metro as producing the same level
of vibration as the present Metro line 3, whereas with respect
to the new technologies presently implemented in the framework
of new metro project, the foreseeable vibration levels will be
significantly lower. However, at the design stages more detailed assessments must be performed in the vicinity of sensitive points likely to be affected by the project, namely the Broadcasting Studio of the Hungarian Radio, the Chair of Chemistry of the Technical University, the Gellért Hotel and the St Imre Hospital. According to the results of these assessments, mitigation measures could be implemented, such as specific antivibratory devices or even a slight shift in the project alignment. Recommendations for the forthcoming studies
At the Feasibility stage, it was not possible to
determine in detail the foreseeable impacts of the metro project.
A comprehensive and quantified assessment of the project were
nevertheless performed. Further investigations should be carried
out during preliminary and detailed design stages..
For the EIA to come, it is essential to refine the
basic assumptions on which the assessment of the project impacts
are based, according to the urban planning projects and to foreseeable
changes in the vehicle fleet, especially: the surface traffic
flows, the main features of the street sections, and the specific
pollutant emission, noise or vibration rates per vehicle category.
If deemed relevant, the study area could be modified or enlarged
and other street sections included. The results should be tightly
linked with the « sensitivity » of the street
sections, meaning that specific investigations should be carried
out to determine the population size likely to be influenced by
the metro impacts per street section.
Assuming that the new metro line, while operating,
will not generate significant detrimental impacts, the construction
phase will be of special importance. The following parameters
will be especially dealt with: temporary land take linked with cut-and-cover sections or stations, volume of spoil disposed of and becoming of the excavated materials (a specific EIA will have to address the problem of spoil disposal: comparative analysis of potential sites, reuse possibilities, impacts linked with the transport and the disposal of the excavated materials, and corresponding mitigation measures), temporary disturbances at the site installations (noise, visual intrusion, traffic diversion, safety issues, ...). Summary and Conclusion
The Metro line 4 project fits into an area of particular
importance for the city cultural, historical and natural heritage.
This specific context is partly responsible for the reject of
some project alternatives involving significant changes in the
cityscape.
The environmental context of the study area is however
impaired by the impacts linked to the high volumes of traffic
crossing the city: air pollution, noise and vibration levels often
exceeding the admissible norms and standards. During the next
years, and in spite of the efforts intended to restrain the traffic
flows within the city centre, the situation should still get worse
for noise and vibrations, but could significantly improve for
air pollution, owing to the foreseeable renewal of the vehicle
fleet which will be entirely equipped with catalytic converters.
In this framework, the construction and the operation
of a new metro line could generate both positive and negative
impacts. With respect to transport sector related impacts, the
project should result in an overall improvement of the situation,
but ranging from hardly noticeable change in air pollution, to
significant decrease in noise levels, and mixed changes in vibration
levels. In respect of the possible impacts of the project onto
the city heritage, the main risk lies on potential disruptions
of the thermal springs servicing the Gellért establishment,
even if the risk is relatively low. The visual integration of
some of the station entrances or installations in the vicinity
of protected monuments could also pose problems, as well as the
metro vibrations for certain sensitive buildings or activities.
When considering all impacts merged, it is difficult
to define which zone of the study area will be the most penalised
and which one will mainly take advantages from the project. With
respect to traffic related impacts, it seems that the environmental
context will slightly deteriorate at the southern end of the project
(Etele and Tétényi streets), will approximately
stay the same with or without project at Fehérvári
avenue, Bartók Béla avenue, Saint Gellért
quay and in the continuation of Erzsébet Bridge (Szabag
S. and Kossuth L. avenues), and will improve along the other street
sections. This preliminary environmental impact appraisal intended to determine the main impacts likely to be dealt with during the next stages. At the EIA stage, the basic data - used for the assessment of the traffic related impacts - will have to be refined, and specific attention will have to be paid to the impacts related to the construction phase. the impact of the project on thermal springs, the vibration levels at the most sensitive points, and the visual integration of the surface installation will have to be detailed and appropriate measures proposed. |
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