Riga Takes on Air: Traffic Lights, Electric Cars, and Speed Reduction — Will It Help? 0 11

The plans still include the construction of a dedicated lane on Dzelzavas Street, although even while moving in the general flow, trolleybuses do not pollute the air at all.

The implementation of "smart" traffic lights is planned, which should prioritize buses and trolleybuses. Probably, such a traffic light at the intersection of Valdemara Street and Kalpaka Boulevard will quickly "go crazy" – public transport moves from all directions and in large numbers there.

The city council intends to "stimulate" the transition of taxis and car-sharing to electric vehicles. The incentive will likely be more of a stick than a carrot. In the absence of a developed network of charging stations, it could be "painful" for both service providers and consumers.

In the city center, further speed reductions are planned. Once again, the long-dead idea of establishing a ferry crossing for heavy trucks has resurfaced. This idea is not new. Twenty years ago, residents of Vecmilgravis were categorically opposed – they did not want dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of heavy trucks to be rushing to and from the ferry along narrow streets lined with high-rise residential buildings, shaking the surroundings both day and night.