An evaluation of the impact of the Dublin Port Tunnel and HGV management strategy on air pollution emissions. (May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tang, Jiayi; McNabola, Aonghus; Misstear, Bruce; Caulfield, Brian
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 52:Part A(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 14
• Publication Date: 2017-05
• Subjects: Traffic model -- Emissions -- Dublin Port Tunnel -- Air pollution -- Transport impacts on environment; Transportation -- Research -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; 354.76
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2017.02.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1361-9209

Abstract

Highlights: The impacts of changes in transport infrastructure and HGV management strategies on traffic emissions were assessed. The HGV management strategy improved speed distributions. Both of these changes resulted in vehicles travelling for longer distances on average. Both of these changes made the total air pollutant emissions increase. Abstract: Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) contribute a large proportion (about 40%) of the emissions of air pollutants while only representing a small proportion (about 10%) of all transport operations. In Ireland, the Dublin Port Tunnel (DPT) was opened in 2006 as a dedicated route for HGVs between Dublin Port and the motorway system in order to reduce the HGV volume in the city centre. An HGV management strategy to restrict HGVs travelling through the city centre was also introduced. The aim of this study was to estimate the emission changes brought about by these infrastructural and regulatory changes. A transport model built in VISUM was utilized. Emissions were calculated using COPERT 4. The results showed that the DPT and HGV management strategy reduced the traffic in the city centre, and the HGV management improved traffic speed distribution. However the DPT and HGV management resulted in vehicles travelling further (travel distance increased by 16% and 51%, respectively) and increased the total emissions (increased by 8% and 21% in NOx, respectively). Total traffic and emission changes over time in Dublin were also estimated in this study. The traffic conditions and emissions in 2006, 2007 and 2013 were evaluated and the results indicated that a travel demand reduction in 2013 could also improve speed distribution. Emissions reduced from 2006 to 2013 and the fleet technology improvements had a positive impact on this reduction. The study shows that a traffic management policy and/or infrastructure change may bring about some localised environmental benefits within the management area; however, such a policy does not always reduce the total traffic emissions in the network as a whole and the impact to the wider environment could be negative in some circumstances.