European Green Capital Award – am ’s application Environmental indicator 06 Noise pollution

Question 1 Present details of the original and/or most recent Action Plan, including any (max. 1,000 words) relevant disadvantages or constraints resulting from historical and/or geographical factors which may have influenced this indicator area negatively. Provide details of: 1. Share of population exposed to noise values of L (day) above 55 dB(A); 2. Share of population exposed to noise values of L (night) above 45 dB(A).

Frankfurt, a key European financial and service centre, is located at the heart of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main metropolitan region and is known for its excellent infrastructure. The city is ’s central traffic hub and the crossing point for motorways linking every part of the country. Around 331,000 motor vehicles pass through the Frankfurter Kreuz motorway junction every day. 70 km of motorway lie within the city area. Road traffic is generated not only by the 688,000 people living in the city but also by the 325,000 inward and 68,000 outward commuters. Together with large numbers of visitors (tourists, shoppers, visitors to cultural events and trade fairs), they make around 3.5 million journeys in the city area every day. Some 1,730 trains arrive at Frankfurt’s main railway station each day. On workdays, passengers number around 350,000. The city’s 7 underground lines, 8 tram lines and 57 bus routes, extending over nearly 700 km, are used by 191 million passengers a year. Around 660 million passengers use the Rhine-Main Traffic Association’s regional network every year. Frankfurt has two ports, which are of prime importance for local industry. Germany’s largest airport is located not far from the city centre, which can be reached by train in a matter of minutes. Some 1,300 aircraft take off from or land at each day. Flight movements are set to increase by more than 50% from the present 464,000 to 700,000 by 2020. The airport is currently being expanded to cope with this huge increase. A new runway will open in October 2011, giving the airport four runways in all. This dense transport system is one of the reasons for Frankfurt’s economic prosperity. The downside is the noise produced by motor vehicles, aircraft, trains and boats. Noise is not merely disruptive; it also has a recognised negative impact on human health. Motor vehicle traffic is the main source of noise in the city.

The following data on noise pollution in Frankfurt are taken from ’s 2007 noise maps Link and from the Noise Action Plan, road traffic sub-plan 2010. Link

1. There are no data on the proportion of the population subjected to noise levels above 55 dB(A) during the day. Separate sets of data can merely be provided on the pollution caused by road, rail and air traffic noise. These figures should not be added together to avoid multiple counting. The Lden indicated applies to periods of 24 hours. There are no data for daytime hours only.

Lden >55 dB(A) • 203,100 people affected by road traffic noise (30% of the population) • 30,400 people affected by rail traffic noise (4% of the population) • 13,500 people affected by air traffic noise (2% of the population) • 3,300 people affected by industrial noise (0.5% of the population)

2. There are no figures on the share of the population exposed to noise levels of Lnight >45 dB(A). Data can only be provided on pollution levels above 50 dB(A) caused by road, rail and air traffic noise. These figures should not be added together to avoid multiple counting.

Lnight >50 dB(A) • 136,000 people affected by road traffic noise (20% of the population) • 22,700 people affected by rail traffic noise (3% of the population) • 400 people affected by air traffic noise (<0.1% of the population) • 1,600 people affected by commercial noise (0.2% of the population)

Municipal noise abatement plans Noise protection is one of the key environmental topics in the conurbation. To reduce noise pollution for people in Frankfurt, in 2001 the city followed up preparatory work carried out in the 1990s with a municipal noise abatement plan which deals with city districts individually. The general public was involved from the outset and the plan was specifically geared to noise problems encountered by the resident population.

The federal state’s noise abatement plans Against the background of the EU Environmental Noise Directive, experience gained through the municipal noise abatement plans was fed into the Hessian Noise Action Plan for Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Region. The particular noise situation throughout southern Hesse was analysed in accordance with objective criteria. Concepts to combat traffic noise were subsequently elaborated. As part of the federal state’s noise abatement plan, in 2007 the Hesse State Department for Environment and Geology (HLUG) published noise maps for road traffic, urban rail traffic (trams and underground trains), industrial sites and aircraft. Link

Noise reduction plans – Noise Action Plan, sub-plan road traffic, administrative region (including Frankfurt and Wiesbaden conurbations) from 2010 The current Noise Action Plan from 2010 contains various measures to reduce road traffic-induced noise pollution: • City-wide noise reduction measures which set out to avoid traffic or to divert vehicle traffic to other forms of transport • Residential and mixed development areas • Encouraging the independence of children in traffic (avoiding being taken to school in their parents’ cars) • Pooling lorry traffic (home deliveries) • Encouraging cycling (construction of B+R facilities, bicycle hire service, allowing cyclists to ride both ways along one-way streets, improvement of the hubs, direct routing, finalising the route system) • Mobility counselling (at schools, businesses) • Encouraging walking (direct above-ground pedestrian routes, pedestrian friendly traffic light sequences, promotion of child-friendly mobility structures) • Encouraging the use of local transport (expansion, higher speeds, simplification of the tariff system, mobile phone ticket) • Reducing individual motorised transport • The Noise Action Plan proposes clearly stipulated measures for specific areas, including the project to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h on main traffic routes at night. • In many city districts, a better surface between tramlines is needed. Paving stones were previously used, generating a high level of noise. Replacing them by asphalt has led to a substantial reduction in noise in two areas. There are plans for to extend this throughout the city. Many of these measures are also included in the clean air and general traffic plans. For further details, see “Local transport” and “Quality of local ambient air”.

Question 2 Details of targets achieved or not to date (within the last 5-10 years). Provide a (max. 800 words) review of how both situations occurred and lessons learned.

One of Frankfurt’s objectives is to reduce noise pollution so as to maintain and improve the city’s residential quality. A number of measures have therefore already been completed, while others are being implemented at present. The main emphasis is on reducing night-time noise.

Road traffic noise A particular focus of noise-reduction measures has been the use of low-noise road surfaces in the city. A newly developed road surface – LOA-5-D – is currently being used in three areas. The noise reduction impact is expected to be above 5 dB(A). An accompanying study is linked to these projects, its aim being to clarify whether the noise reduction impact can be sustained. If positive conclusions are reached, LOA-5-D will be the standard road surface laid. In the bicycle strategy concluded in 2003, the share of bicycle traffic was to be increased to 15% by 2012. This target has already been achieved. Every journey made by bicycle rather than by car results in less noise in the city. Rail noise The municipal noise abatement plan successfully had 18.2 km of rail routes in the city area included in the German Government’s Rail Noise Abatement Programme. Rail routes in the Sachsenhausen district were upgraded. Work is currently under way to reduce noise on a railway bridge. To date 8.6 km of rail routes have been upgraded, involving passive noise protection measures (soundproof windows) and active noise protection measures (noise reduction walls and speed restrictions).

Aircraft noise In view of the airport expansion and the concomitant increase in air traffic, advantage must be taken of every opportunity to reduce aircraft noise around Frankfurt Airport. This is the mandate of the “Airport and Region” forum established by the Hessian State Government in 2008. Experts from politics, administration and the aviation industry develop specific ways of reducing aircraft noise pollution in the region. The city of Frankfurt is very active in the forum. The forum’s objective is to implement a package of active noise abatement measures. The first results were presented in 2010. Seven measures in the pilot stage set out to provide relief for as many people as possible and to keep the additional pollution caused by the airport extension to a minimum. Measures to reduce aircraft noise pollution:

1. Vertical optimisation of take-off procedures: Noise is reduced by increasing the distance to the noise source. If a speed limit of 400 km/h is imposed over the first 11 km from the take-off point, the aircraft gains altitude faster.

2. Modification of Lufthansa’s Boeing 737 fleet: By the end of 2011 Lufthansa will have modified its 26 B737s based in Frankfurt so that they produce less noise on take-off and landing.

3. Increasing the tailwind component: Planes arrive and depart in two directions, taking off and landing against the wind. For operating direction West 25 (westerly wind), a tailwind component of 5 knots (some 8 km/h) is prescribed. This means that if there is little easterly wind is, operating direction 25 will be maintained and the planes land and take off with a slight tailwind. Efforts are being made to increase the share of operating direction 25 in two stages so as to provide relief for municipalities affected by low-flying incoming aircraft.

4. New approach procedure (segmented approach): In-coming aircraft normally fly the final 21 km in a straight line to the runway. This measure specifies satellite-controlled approach procedures, in which all approaching aircraft will first be guided south of the runway centre line and only turn in to it 9.3 km before touching down. The measure will allow aircraft to fly round city centres.

5. Dedicated runway operations: Rotation and restricted use of night-time departures will ensure noise breaks. Different departure routes will be used on even and uneven dates.

6. Optimisation of the Continuous Descent Approach (CDA): In the CDA, engine power is reduced substantially and aircraft almost glide in to landing from a considerable height. This saves fuel and reduces noise. The CDA is used at Frankfurt Airport between 23.00 and 5.00. The CDA procedure is being extended and improved as part of the noise abatement package.

7. Increasing the approach glide angle to 3.2°: This measure applies to landing on the new runway. Currently, aircraft descend at an angle of 3°. If this angle is increased, the aircraft approach more steeply, thus increasing the distance to residential areas and reducing noise pollution. For security reasons, steeper angles can only be used in good weather and when there is no tailwind. Two instrument landing systems (3° and 3.2°) will therefore be installed on the new runway.

Further Information Website “Nachbar ”

Question 3 Plans to meet or revise key targets for the future and the proposed approach to (max. 800 words) achieve these.

The city of Frankfurt has a long tradition of dealing with the topic of noise. A municipal noise abatement plan was established before the European Environmental Noise Directive was implemented in German law. To reduce the number of people suffering from noise pollution in Frankfurt am Main, the city authorities have been pursuing a district-level noise abatement plan since 2001. The municipal plan is more detailed than Hesse’s noise mapping and noise action plan. Public involvement is a key element in the plan, which is geared to noise problems actually encountered. An important feature is the observation of all sources of noise in the city districts as combinations of different noise sources are particularly problematic. The objective is not merely to assess technical aspects of noise problems using noise calculation and emission limit values but to understand how people feel about noise and to develop solutions. From 2001 to 2006 Noise Abatement Plan Round Tables were held in the city districts and the results presented to the political bodies concerned and at public meetings.

The first stage in the municipal noise abatement plan is to be completed in 2012. Previous noise reduction work will be fed into a final project and expanded into an overall concept. Road traffic and local rail traffic noise (underground trains and trams) is being addressed. An area-wide noise map enables a list of priorities to be drawn up with (current and outstanding) proposals for measures. This is intended to help with municipal budget planning and establishing priorities for city-wide measures. The chosen procedure also provides information for the general public. PR work focuses on an interactive website. As soon as information on the impact of the measures and the cost of implementation is available, specific targets that comply with budget constraints can be formulated. Experience with the municipal noise abatement plan has shown how extremely important it is to include advance information about noise protection in administrative and approval procedures (Road Department, Deutsche Bahn). The following measures are scheduled for implementation in the next few years: • Noise abatement on roads and bridges • 30 km/h night-time speed restriction on main thoroughfares • Replacing the surface between tramlines in the city area with asphalt • Converting crossroads into roundabouts to regulate the traffic flow • Building a circular tram line, opening new underground and tram lines (8, 9 and 18) • Use of low-noise trams along the Offenbacher Landstrasse • Provision of a local bus service in the Oberrad city district • Restructuring and enhancement of traffic areas, general overhaul, central islands established, lane narrowing • “Noise meter” speed indicators (pilot project) • Improved traffic lights • Traffic checks • Ramp metering • Passive noise abatement • Enclosing an urban motorway section to reduce noise and to create new housing areas and green spaces

To reduce traffic-induced noise pollution even further, the city requires the support of the state and national governments: • Speed limits of 100 km/h (cars) and 80 km/h (lorries) on national motorways in the conurbation • Whispering asphalt used on national motorways in the urban area For further details, see “Local transport” and “Quality of local ambient air”.

Aircraft noise The first package of active noise abatement measures at Frankfurt Airport was an important step towards reducing aircraft noise. Medium and long-term noise reduction plans are being pursued and the effect of noise on health is being studied. A second package of measures is currently giving priority to the following issues: • Route optimisation: The current take-off routes were established more than 30 years ago, using the planning options then available, in order to generate “minimum noise” for the housing areas existing at that time. There have since been considerable developments throughout the region. The routes are to be optimised on the basis of the present housing areas and future plans. • Approach route optimisation: New – largely still experimental – procedures for controllers to guide approaching aircraft vertically and horizontally are being tested. • Ground noise reduction: The noise produced by taxiing aircraft is to be reduced by towing procedures. Ground generators are to supply the aircraft with electricity and air conditioning. • Incentive models: Current noise and pollutant-related charges applied in Frankfurt are to be developed further, as is the promotion of aeronautical research projects. An important goal is to establish an incentive model which rewards flight performance, encourages technical improvements and fleet innovations and penalises obsolete aircraft equipment.

Reducing noise pollution not only lowers health risks but makes the reduced- noise city more liveable. Economic activity and essential mobility are to be harmonised more extensively with attractive, healthy living conditions. In Frankfurt, intensive interdepartmental work is being carried out on noise abatement as a key issue for a sustainable, future fit city.