The problem of road transport
Road transport in the metropolitan city of Milan is one of the main causes of polluting gas emissions that worsen local air quality, in particular nitrogen oxides (NOX), coarse and fine particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5 and PTS), carbon monoxide (CO), precursors of ozone formation (O3) and precipitation acidifying agents.
In addition, road transport is responsible for about one third of the emissions of climate-changing gases (CO2 and others) responsible for climate change. As shown, road transport is also the sector that has reduced its equivalent emissions least in the last two decades, and whose percentage contribution has therefore increased over time compared to other sectors, up to being substantially equivalent to civil heating. The two main components of road transport, in terms of pollutants, are heavy transport - typically for logistics - and private car traffic.
Although with notable differences, especially in terms of fuels used, these two components represent the majority of the main problematic emissions in the area and, consequently, the main areas of intervention for any plan that aims to reduce these contributions in absolute terms.
From this point of view, cycling policies can contribute by generating a modal shift from the motor vehicle towards the bicycle; this can occur both for the transport of people, thus reducing the use of the private car, and for the transport of goods, above all replacing light commercial vehicles for local deliveries.
In fact, cycle logistics has the potential to significantly reduce emissions from light commercial vehicles in urban areas, which are also the most critical in terms of pollutant concentrations, favoring the creation of "zero emission areas" for logistics.
Finally, with reference to the transport of people, the cycle alternative represents one of the most effective and cheapest tools for reducing climate-altering gas emissions, both in relation to all sectors and, above all, when compared to other transport alternatives based on high technological investments in motor vehicles (ECF,