The impact of transportation systems in the Alps

The Alps constitutes a natural barrier to transit traffic. Nonetheless nearly 150 million people cross the Alps every year, 83% of which will travel by road. Trucks crossing the Alps cover 1,3 billion km per year.

The dramatically increasing transalpine traffic is concentrated on a very few alpine valleys and is exacting a heavy toll through space-eating traffic infrastructure, noise and air pollution.

Air pollution in the Alps derives mainly from motor traffic. Nitrogen dioxide emissions have increased with damage to forests through acid rain and with the introduction of damaging nutrients into the ecosystem.  

Additionally, so-called domestic (inner-alpine) traffic has grown exponentially now constituting the bulk of all Alpine traffic.  

Domestic traffic is distributed over many different roads, so all main valleys and most side valleys are heavily polluted.

Tourism is another big cause of traffic in the Alps, especially to remote areas, involving particularly elevated locations like tourist resorts and scenic secondary roads.

The air-polluting effects are even more serious, due to the high altitude of these areas.