01150949

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/2143-18

http://scholar.google.com...iraj&publication_year=2010

In recent years much media attention has been paid to research developments related to three types of diesel vehicles: school buses, long-haul trucks, and transit buses. Transit bus emissions studies often gain attention because the public wants to know whether transit agencies are spending public dollars efficiently and with concern for public health. The public health and environmental effects of transit bus idling and strategies to mitigate idling practices need to be understood. Most transit bus idling is considered nondiscretionary and occurs while a bus is stuck in traffic or making a stop along its route. However, in some scenarios transit buses idle unnecessarily. Although many solutions exist to limit idling, these solutions have not garnered much interest from transit agencies, researchers, or lawmakers. This paper will review the causes and effects of transit bus idling and examine the potential costs and benefits of using idling reduction technologies and policies on the bus fleet of a large metropolitan transit agency in the Midwest to limit fuel consumption and emissions. The paper is organized as follows: Economic, environmental, and health effects of diesel emissions are discussed in the introductory section, as is current anti-idling public policy. The research methodology is described, and causes of excessive bus idling at the Chicago Transit Authority in Illinois are discussed, as are potential solutions. Idling reduction technologies are examined to determine which provides the greatest economic and environmental benefit for the lowest cost. The paper concludes with specific recommendations for the Chicago Transit Authority.

01220095

10-4092

English

pp 142-149

2010

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309142908

Print

References (17) ; Tables (4)

Benefit cost analysis; Diesel engine exhaust gases; Economic impacts; Engine idling; Environmental impacts; Fleet management; Public health; Public policy; Public transit; Transit buses; Transit operating agencies

Chicago Transit Authority

Environment; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment; I15: Environment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 25 2010 12:06PM

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• Calculators to Estimate Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Public Transit Vehicles
• Comparing Public Transport Connectivity Measures of Major New Zealand Cities
• Defining a Primary Market and Estimating Demand for Major Bicycle-Sharing Program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Development of a Data-Processing Framework for Transit Performance Analysis
• Features That Affect Variability of Travel Time on Bus Rapid Transit Systems
• Global Positioning System Integrated with Personalized Real-Time Transit Information from Automatic Vehicle Location
• Identifying Causes of Performance Issues in Bus Schedule Adherence with Automatic Vehicle Location and Passenger Count Data
• Impact of Carsharing on Household Vehicle Holdings: Results from North American Shared-Use Vehicle Survey
• Influence of Platform Height, Door Width, and Fare Collection on Bus Dwell Time: Laboratory Evidence for Santiago de Chile
• Levels of Overcrowding in Bus System of Dhaka, Bangladesh
• More Comfort, Shorter Travel Time, or Low Fares? Comparing Rail Transit Preferences of Commuters, Holiday and Leisure Travelers, Business Travelers, and Shoppers in Switzerland
• Public Transit Network Connectivity: Spatial-Based Performance Indicators
• Reliability Improvement in Short Headway Transit Services: Schedule- and Headway-Based Holding Strategies
• San Francisco to Silicon Valley, California, Instant Ridesharing with Transfer Hub
• Service Reliability Measurement Using Automated Fare Card Data: Application to the London Underground
• Subway Productivity, Profitability, and Performance: A Tale of Five Cities
• Transit Referenda and Funding Options: Bonds Versus Taxes
• What Determines Soft Costs in Major Public Transit Fixed Guideway Projects? Examining Four Decades of Experience