Investigating the Effect of Suburban Buses on Traffic Flow and Carbon Monoxide Emission by Aimsun Simulation Software

Abstract

Incorrect placement of use in the urban area can affect the demand pattern of trips, traffic flow between the different districts, and air pollution. Traffic simulators were used to study the impact of this factor on traffic flow and pollutant emission in traffic networks. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the incorrect placement of the Tehran West Terminal on the flow of traffic and the amount of carbon monoxide emission in the network using the Aimsun simulation software. Hence, the suburban bus route was simulated from the West Terminal to the Bakery intersection in the presence and absence of suburban buses. Then parameters were investigated, such as carbon monoxide emissions, fuel consumption, delay time, total travel time, and average speed of traffic flow. The results showed that when suburban buses are present in the network, the average traffic speed rate decreased by 7.6%, and the total travel time and network delay time increased by 11.1% and 9.1%, respectively, which in general indicates a decrease in the quality of the in-network traffic flow. Also, fuel consumption and carbon monoxide emissions increased with suburban bus presence in the network by 13.7% and 9.1%, respectively. The results can confirm that lack of attention to urban development limits and ignoring the importance of sustainable urban management in controlling traffic demand can have negative economic and environmental consequences.