City-centre clean zones were created in all four cooperating cities. Access to historical and central areas by private vehicles was limited, and in some cases these areas were totally closed. This move was welcomed by citizens and public transport, and to a large extent also by retailers. Access to clean zones was controlled via the installation of various technologies.
Parking and pricing policies were another focus of the MIRACLES project in Rome and Winchester, where different methods of application were assessed.
Bus fleets were renewed with the procurement of low-emission and zero-emission vehicles such as the latest-generation buses running on compressed natural gas, diesel buses complying with Euro III and Euro IV emissions standards, and electric and bi-modal trolleys. As part of the project innovative fuels were also tested, including plant oils (rapeseed oil).
New public transport lines were introduced on both free and fixed routes, including a new tram line in Barcelona and a trolleybus line in Rome.
Park and ride facilities were extended in Cork and Winchester, integrated with new bicycle parking infrastructure and shuttles to facilitate alternatives to car use in the city and to connect the city centre with the outskirts.
A car-sharing service was implemented in Rome, while new cycling opportunities were introduced in Cork and Winchester, including innovative cycle loan schemes.
Information technology was developed extensively by all four cities, for monitoring the public transport vehicle fleet, providing public transport service information to end users both online and on board; for providing real-time traffic information to drivers; for facilitating payment for transport-related services via SMS (bus tickets in Rome and parking in Cork), and for developing tools to predict traffic-related pollution levels.
Freight delivery was also improved in three of the cities. In Barcelona, a scheme for multi-use lanes was improved and extended (with an extra 5 km of lane). Barcelona also demonstrated other innovations, such as quiet night-time deliveries and a pilot Internet portal. The latter was developed in collaboration with more than a dozen goods operators in order to identify hotspots and reduce illegal parking. Winchester and Rome were also active in developing innovative urban delivery systems.