Emission exposure optimum for a single-destination dynamic traffic network. (May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tan, Yu; Ma, Rui; Sun, Zhanbo; Zhang, Peitong
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 94(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Subjects: Dynamic system optimum -- Human exposure to vehicular emissions -- Dynamic traffic flow model -- Gaussian plume model -- Emission dispersion; Transportation -- Research -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; 354.76
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2021.102817
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1361-9209

Abstract

Highlights: We develop a dynamic model to describe human exposure to vehicular emissions. A free-flow optimal solution exists that minimizes the total emission exposure. The health impact of vehicular emissions can be reduced by managing traffic flow. There is a tradeoff between total time cost and total emission exposure. Abstract: In this paper, an integrated dynamic framework is applied to model human exposure to vehicular emissions. The framework contains three components: a time-dependent macroscopic emission model, a dynamic traffic flow model, and a line source Gaussian plume model to capture the spatial dispersion of emissions. A human exposure-based dynamic system-optimal problem is then formulated to minimize system-wide emission exposure. An illustrative network and the Sioux Falls network are used to test the proposed framework and to examine how traffic dynamics, population characteristics, and meteorological conditions affect emission exposure at various network locations. The results provide evidence that regional emission exposure can be reduced by dynamically managing network traffic. At least under the specific network setup, the paper provides a counterexample to the common conception that traffic congestion and emissions (exposure) can be minimized simultaneously, which implies that traffic system operators must properly leverage the tradeoff between congestion and emissions.