Evaluating the Effects of One-Way Traffic Management on Different Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Using an Integrated Approach

Abstract

One-way traffic management is a recognized traffic organization to improve traffic efficiency and safety, but its effects on different traffic emissions remains unclear. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of one-way traffic management on three typical vehicle exhaust emissions including Carbonic Oxide (CO), Hydrocarbon Compounds (HC), and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) in a traffic system using an integrated approach. Field experiment was conducted to collect the vehicular emission data under different traffic conditions using the onboard portable emission measurement system. An instantaneous emission model (i.e., Vehicle Specific Power) is calibrated using the collected field emission data and is incorporated into the microscopic traffic simulation tool VISSIM for quantifying the emissions before and after one-way traffic management through simulation. Two scenarios based on real networks and traffic demands of peak hours in part areas of Shanghai are developed for simulation and evaluation. The results show that in the intersections, the emission rates of COHC, NOx after one-way traffic management is significantly reduced by 20.46%, 21.29% and 21.06%, respectively. In the road sections, the emission rates of CO, HC, NOx in the road sections decrease by 23.38% and 26.29%. The overall CO, HC, NOx emissions in the studied network reduce by 21.34%, 22.29% and 23.77% separately due to one-way traffic management. The results provide insights into the derivative effects of one-way traffic management on traffic emissions in the intersections, road sections and network levels, and thus support scientific traffic management for promoting the sustainability of transport system.