A credit charging scheme incorporating carpool and carbon emissions

Abstract

Although shared mobility will mitigate congestion and emissions, car trip frequencies and vehicle miles traveled are likely to rise. The tradable credit scheme (TCS) is a key tool for moderating demand and encouraging more social and environmental trips. Hence, this paper proposes a credit charging method for TCS considering carpooling strategy and carbon emissions. We introduce the credit discount coefficient and carbon emission index in determining the credit price, and explore the road network's credit distribution by using the principle of marginal cost. The results of the case study suggest that the developed scheme performs well in terms of traffic conditions, economical efficiency and carbon emissions. Considering carbon emissions and carpooling, the proposed credit charging method can serve as an effective way to alleviate traffic congestion and pollution. Moreover, the formulation of the credit charging method can provide a feasible approach for TCS design.