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The General Urban Traffic Plan (PGTU) constitutes a fundamental planning tool for the analysis and transformation of traffic within the city, following changes that occur on both the supply and demand sides of mobility. The PGTU serves as the roadmap for the progressive implementation of a medium-to-long-term scenario aimed at the reorganization and infrastructure development of the entire urban mobility system.
In this strategic logic, the Municipality of Messina has adopted an urban traffic simulation model. This advanced tool is essential for studying and testing various traffic reorganization hypotheses before their final implementation in the PGTU. The development of the model required an intense fact-finding phase, which involved carrying out a series of in-depth surveys:
- Analysis of traffic flows.
- Surveys on parking.
- Data on accident rates.
These surveys made it possible to reconstruct an accurate picture of the functioning of Messina’s urban mobility and to identify its main critical issues. The simulation model then scientifically supported the programming decisions by providing detailed analyses of the road network’s functionality in both the current state and the PGTU project scenario.
The PGTU of the Municipality of Messina pursues a series of multisectoral objectives aimed at improving the quality of life and the efficiency of the system:
- Improvement of circulation conditions and traffic flow.
- Increase in road safety and reduction of accidents.
- Reduction of air and noise pollution.
- Promotion of energy saving.
- Consistency with current urban planning instruments and transport plans.
- Respect for environmental values and promotion of sustainability.
The correct organization of urban traffic requires a coordinated series of interventions, focusing on two macro-areas: transport supply and mobility demand.
Interventions on Transport Supply The Messina PGTU focuses on the physical reorganization of the network and infrastructure:
- Definition of a new functional classification of roads, with modifications to the main road network.
- Establishment of Environmental Zones (Isole Ambientali) and Limited Traffic Zones (ZTLs) to improve liveability and the environment.
- Reorganization of critical intersections through the optimization of traffic light plans.
- Improvement and enhancement of public transport services, particularly the tram system.
Interventions on Mobility Demand Actions in this area aim to steer citizens’ travel choices towards more sustainable options and to optimize the use of public space, which is considered saturated. Therefore, interventions are planned to favor intermodality:
- Creation of strategic interchange parking facilities.
- Enhancement of infrastructure dedicated to cycling and pedestrian mobility.
In partnership with MATE Engineering