Tampere Tramway Evaluation of the Effects Environmental Impacts Environmental impacts Natural environment In the tramline option, the delicate environments are the surroundings of the Tampere University Hospital, the area of the future Kekkosentie tramline bridge, Iidesjärvi, Hallila, Hervanta canyon, Tohtorinpuisto park, the depot, Hervantajärvi and Pyhällönpuisto park. In the bus option, the most significant environmental impacts are directed at areas where additional lanes, new street connections and bridges are to be built, such as Teiskontie, Paasikiventie and Hervannan Valta- väylä. The most significant impacts in this option concern the habitats of the flying squirrel. Energy and material efficiency A tramline reduces the energy consumption and emissions of traffic. Taking into account the working life and capacity of the equipment, 225 buses are required for every 25 tram cars to achieve the same service level. A tramline entails more consumption of materials and a greater need to transport landmasses than the benchmark option. Surface, ground and drainage water 36 The tramway and the benchmark option will not have any significant impacts on waters in the area because the construction will mainly apply to the existing street structure. The early effects during construc- tion are controllable. Attention will be paid to the control of drainage water at the tramline depot. Contaminated soil A heavily contaminated land area was found in the sphere of the first implementation phase in Korkinmäki. The area will be purified. There are 26 targets in need of further investigation in connection with the construction of the second implementation phase, i.e. the section from the Central Market Square to Lentävänniemi. The bus option also contains requirements to manage the quality of the soil. Emissions and air quality In the tramline option, the particle, nitric oxide and carbon dioxide emissions are slightly smaller than those of the bus option. In the tramline option, air quality has been evaluated to improve in the main streets in the city centre and Hervanta. Due to dust and emissions from the machinery, air quality may be poor during construction. Hiedanranta option: The environmental impacts of filling will be evaluated when the plans are specified. Kuva: Tampereen kaupunki/Ramboll Finland Oy 37 Image: Average noise levels on Teiskontie during the day in 2040 in the tramline and bus option. Noise, vibration and structure-borne noise raitiotien vaikutukset. Liikenteen verkolliset päästötarkastelut 2016 According to the track noise survey (Noise survey, situation 17 May The options do not significantly affect the overall noise assessments in emission review). In most areas, the differences between the options 2016), some rail squeal may be heard in the tightest corners of the the city centre. Momentary, potentially disruptive noise is created in (0+ and 1) in the overall noise levels are minor; the differences are in track. Rail squeal is high-pitched, unlike normal track noise. All in all, the tightest corners and switches of the tramline. Construction causes the region of +/- 1 dB. the number of tight corners in this project is reasonable. Sources of loud noise at times. The vicinity of the tramline does not contain subs- noise during construction include large rail work machines, earthwork tantial vibration risk areas. Structure-borne noise insulation will be Nearly the same number of residents are exposed to noise in both machines, bridge work, bedrock quarrying, crushing, and the taken into account in the design. options. In the tramline option, the noise levels are lower than those construction of compensatory roads. of the bus option along Itsenäisyydenkatu and the east section of Hiedanranta option: The environmental impacts of filling will be evaluated Hämeenkatu, where the tram traffic will replace some of the bus During the construction of the tramline, noise will be reduced by when the plans are specified. traffic. In the tramline option, the noise levels will increase in areas means of work planning, among other things, and official instructions where no traffic is operated in the bus option. For instance, in the will be complied with when controlling the noise. The quarrying and southern end of Insinöörinkatu in Hervanta, the noise level is higher blasting work in the Hervanta depot will be a substantial source of Noise in the tramline option than in the bus option. This is mainly due to noise during the construction. The impacts of the tramline on the overall noise level of traffic have increased bus traffic on Insinöörinkatu as a result of the new tramline been evaluated with noise modelling (Tampereen kaupunkiraitiotien traffic. According to the noise modelling, the options do not require meluvaikutusten arviointi 2016 noise impact assessment) on the basis noise protection. of the traffic prognoses of the Tampere traffic model (Tampereen Vibration and structure-borne noise The vicinity of the tramline does not contain substantial vibration risk areas. (Tampereen raitiotie. KAS-vaihe. Runkomelu ja tärinämuistio 2016 structure-borne noise and vibration memo). However, atten- tion should be paid to the risk in the TAYS area, on Tekunkatu, and in the vicinity of Mutaoja. The north-west side of Tekunkatu contains a community garden built on fine-grain soil with no permanent resi- dents, and the south-east side features educational establishments. The vibration recommendations of residential buildings in the VTT fact sheet number 2278 are not usually applied to them. In this area, tram traffic vibration may slightly exceed the VTT-recommended values of residential buildings. In the first implementation phase, there are areas of structure-borne noise risk in Hämeenkatu and Hervanta. The total combined length of these is approximately three kilometres. Insulation solutions will be adjusted to the street structure plans in cooperation with the street designers. According to the structure-borne noise surveys, no special soundproofing solutions are needed. The sufficient level of soundproofing will be achieved with the combined effect of track attachments and frost sheet in the slab track sections. 38 In terms of the western branch (Pyynikintori¬–Lentävänniemi), there are areas of structure-borne noise along Lielahdenkatu. In the west, areas of vibration risk are Enqvistinkatu, the south-west end of Lielah- denkatu, and Federleynkatu. The extent of risk areas can be specified when there is more experience regarding the levels of structure-borne Image: Content profile of nitrogen dioxide in Sammonkatu (Ilmanlaadun pitoisuusprofiilit Tampereen raitiotien vaiku- noise and vibration caused by tramline traffic in comparable condi- tusten arviointia varten 2016 report). tions. (Tampereen raitiotie. Läntinen haara Pyynikintori–Lentävän- niemi 2016 report) Emissions and air quality The impacts of the tramline on air quality have been evaluated on the basis of the traffic prognoses of the Tampere traffic model (Tampe- By the year 2040, the particle emissions in the entire region will reduce According to the modelling of air quality profile contents in the streets reen raitiotien vaikutukset. Liikenteen verkolliset päästötarkastelut from the current situation by about 70% and the NOx emissions by (Ilmanlaadun pitoisuusprofiilit Tampereen raitiotien vaikutusten arvi- 2016 emission review). The total emission quantities from traffic in the about 30%, whereas the carbon dioxide emissions will increase by ointia varten 2016 report), the tramline option does not substan- Tampere region (Tampere, Pirkkala, Lempäälä, Kangasala, Ylöjärvi, about 20%. The largest impact on the development of emission quan- tially differ from the bus option in terms of air quality. Overall, the Nokia, Vesilahti, Akaa, Valkeakoski, Orivesi, Pälkäne and Hämeen- tities comes from the renewal of vehicle stock and the development of differences in the impact on the air quality of Tampere were minor kyrö) in terms of nitrogen oxides (NOx), particles (PM2.5 and PM10) vehicle technology. The particle emissions of the tramline option were between the options. However, some changes may occur locally in and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the tramline and bus options have been 0.6% lower in 2040 than those of the bus option, nitrogen oxide emis- air quality, depending on the street. In future, if the number of tram- evaluated using traffic prognoses and emission factors. sions were 1.3% lower and carbon dioxide emissions were 1.4% lower. lines in Tampere increases, their impact on air quality (especially the impact of reducing street dust) may be larger. minor impacts on surface waters. During use, the largest changes of constructing the tramline are directed at the crossing sections of the river. The tramline will run over Vuohenoja and Mutaoja so that the current drum structures need to be extended. Damming and flooding damage will be prevented with a drum that must be at least as large as the one currently in place and so that the channelling capacity of the drum is not weakened. The distance between the tramline and Iidesjärvi will be 300–500 m. The use of the tramline will have a slight impact on the flow rates and water quality of Iidesjärvi Only a very minor share of the drainage water that flows into Iidesjärvi will consist of drainage from the tram- line. In addition, the track will be ballasted in the vicinity of Iidesjärvi; the water will run through it and any flow will not have the chance to grow larger. In the current situation, the station tunnel of Itsenäisyydenkatu sees some flooding of drainage water during heavy rain. Floodwater also flows from the station tunnel to the intersection of Rongankatu and Ojakatu, which is one of the most significant risk areas of drainage water flooding in the city. The flood risk of the station tunnel will be prevented by delaying the water in a flood pool to be built under Posteljooninpuisto park. 39 About 600 metres of the tramline will run in the groundwater area of Aakkulanharju. The structures will be placed above the surface of the groundwater. In the groundwater area, the tramline will be set on layers that allow water to flow through.