In Europe, many ancient cities have become urban centres, even though their infrastructure was not designed to endure car traffic and large population growth. This article shows how Athens relieved its traffic congestion and reduced its air pollution while endeavouring to retain its original character. A centralised traffic control system has been created in the 136 acre triangular Trigono area in the centre of Athens, which is an important commercial and business district that has been deteriorating due to traffic congestion and parking problems. A flexible, aesthetic, and durable system was sought, to limit traffic during peak periods. It was decided to control 38 accesses, using 20 controlled entrances and 18 free exits. The final choice was Urbaco's Urbanica centralised system of programmable and retractable bollards, which had already proved to be a good solution for pedestrian access in other cities around the world. A 250mm-diameter, 520mm-high shock-resistant bollard was chosen for visibility and security. The system is controlled from a room located in Trigono, and all its equipment can be operated from its central computer, using fibre optic links. The system costs much less than the previous police traffic surveillance.
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