TRB Pubsindex
Text Size:
x

« Prev Next »

Return to Results | New Search

Bookmark and Share

Title:

Roadway Determinants of Bicyclist Multi-pollutant Exposure Concentrations
Cover of Roadway Determinants of Bicyclist Multi-pollutant Exposure Concentrations

Accession Number:

01551643

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Abstract:

Due to poorly quantified traffic-exposure relationships, transportation professionals are unable to easily estimate exposure differences among bicycle routes for network planning, design, and analysis. This paper estimates the effects of roadway characteristics on bicyclist multi-pollutant exposure concentrations, controlling for meteorology and background conditions. Concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon monoxide (CO), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are modeled using high-resolution on-road data. This paper also compares exposure differences on immediately parallel high-traffic/low-traffic facilities and is the first study to quantify VOC exposure differences by facility. Results indicate that average daily traffic (ADT) provides a parsimonious way to characterize the impact of roadway characteristics on bicyclists’ exposure. VOC and CO exposure increased by around 2% per 1,000 ADT, robust to several different regression model specifications. The results have important policy and design implications to reduce bicyclists’ exposure. Separation between bicyclists and motor vehicle traffic is a necessary but not sufficient condition to reduce exposure concentrations; off-street paths are not always low-pollution facilities. Direct comparisons of exposure concentrations on parallel routes shows that minor detours to nearby low-traffic facilities can dramatically reduce exposure to strongly traffic-related pollutants.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADC20 Transportation and Air Quality.

Monograph Accession #:

01550057

Report/Paper Numbers:

15-3401

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Bigazzi, Alexander Y
Figliozzi, Miguel A

Pagination:

14p

Publication Date:

2015

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

Figures; Photos; References; Tables

Subject Areas:

Environment; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; I15: Environment

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2015 Paper #15-3401

Files:

PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Dec 30 2014 1:08PM