01656864

Component

Active transportation modes such as bicycling is a key element of sustainable transportation. In order to promote bicycling as an alternative form of transportation, a holistic approach to improving the quality of the biking experience is needed. The planning of bicycle routes typically takes into consideration available right-of-way, existing roadway infrastructure, and safety concerns, among other factors. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution, on the other hand, is rarely considered. Indeed, bicyclists are the most vulnerable to the harmful air pollution due to their direct exposure to vehicular exhaust and increased breathing rate during biking. This paper presents a method for incorporating exposure to traffic-related air pollution as another consideration in the bicycle route planning process. The method involves creating a streamlined process for estimating the level of near-road air pollution concentration and developing a bicycle route planning tool that allows planners and engineers to compare the exposure of bicyclists to traffic-related air pollution among different bicycle route options. Additionally, this paper demonstrates how to apply the method in two case studies in the City of Riverside, California. Through the case studies, it is shown that considering exposure to traffic-related air pollution can change the preferences of bicycle route planning.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADD40 Standing Committee on Transportation and Sustainability.

18-03044

English

14p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; Maps; References; Tables

Air pollution; Bicycling; Environmental impacts; Exhaust gases; Route choice; Routes

Exposure (Pollutants)

Riverside (California)

Environment; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-03044

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:44AM