The impact of the barrier effect on sustainable urban mobility

Abstract

In the sustainable concept, urban mobility needs to meet current needs, also considering the future, providing positive impacts on the economy, the environment and society. In the social sphere, this becomes possible when its benefits are accessible to everyone, avoiding inequalities, democratizing spaces and facilitating displacement. In this perspective, the presence of the railroad in the intra-urban space constitutes a physical barrier that conditions and limits mobility, resulting in a reduced number of crossings along its axis, which makes access difficult, segregates spaces, increases distances and travel time, influencing the occupation and the value of urban land in neighboring areas. Based on this context, this study aims to identify and analyze the crossings and connections on the outskirts of Passo Fundo/RS, where the Trigo Railroad is in operation, in order to understand the influence of the barrier effect on urban mobility in the region. To this end, the methodological procedures consisted in the construction of a bibliographic reference on the subject, in addition to the elaboration of maps demarcating crossing points (street/railway) and their respective scope. Next, the systematization of information was carried out in order to build a critical-analytical view, associating the theoretical precepts to the elaborated cartographic base. The results indicate that urban mobility in the region where the railway is located is conditioned by the reduced number of possible crossings, which total only 6 (six) in a length of 4.3 kilometers, increasing the distance and travel time of those who travel along the railway area, an important sub-centre of the city, which is connected to the central area through Avenida Brasil.