Vehicle Emissions and Level of Service Standards: Exploratory Analysis of the Effects of Traffic Flow on Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions
2009; Institute of Transportation Engineers; Volume: 79; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0162-8178
AutoresRafael Cobian, Tony Henderson, Sudeshna Mitra, Cornelius Nuworsoo, Edward C. Sullivan,
Tópico(s)Air Quality and Health Impacts
ResumoLevel of service (LOS) standards established by local jurisdictions for new development can have a significant impact on the type and character of vehicle trips made and the subsequent emissions released. This paper describes an exploratory study that was conducted to quantify the relationship between LOS policies and their effect on emissions. Using a travel model for Grover Beach, California, buildout conditions were simulated to make the network have operational deficiencies in critical areas, ultimately operating at a LOS F. Changes to roadway lane configurations were then made to achieve LOS thresholds of LOS E through LOS A. The resulting speed and flow data were analyzed in emission models to determine the relationship between the target LOS thresholds and emissions produced. The network was modeled for both roadway link LOS and intersection LOS conditions. For roadway links, overall the lowest amounts of emissions were released at the LOS B threshold and the greatest incremental decrease in emissions occurred between LOS D and C. At intersections, the lowest emissions point was LOS A and the largest incremental decrease occurred between LOS D and C. When considering the feasibility of implementation of LOS thresholds, LOS C was determined to be the most effective operating point for both roadway links and intersections.
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