Modelling instantaneous traffic emission and the influence of traffic speed limits

Abstract

This paper considers the effect of active speed management on traffic-induced emissions. In particular, the traffic emissions caused by acceleration and deceleration of vehicles are modelled based on an instantaneous emission model integrated with a microscopic traffic simulation model. The emission model is based on empirical measurements which relate vehicle emission to the type, the instantaneous speed and acceleration of the vehicle. The traffic model captures the second-by-second speed and acceleration of individual vehicles travelling in a road network based on their individual driving style, the vehicle mechanics, and their interaction with other traffic and with traffic control in the network. The integrated model is applied to test a new technology to actively manage the driving speed of the vehicles in an urban network. Their impacts on vehicle emission in the network are assessed to give an indication of the relative effectiveness of the different technological designs and different levels of driver responses. The results show that, while the speed management has effectively reduced the average speed of the traffic, their impact on vehicle emissions is complex. For the study network, the frequent acceleration and deceleration movements in the network has significantly reduced the effect of the reduced average speed on emission. The net results are that the active speed management has no significant impact on pollutant emissions. The study suggests that the analysis of the environmental impacts of any traffic management and control policies is a complex issue and requires detailed analysis of not only their impact on average speeds but also on other aspects of vehicle operation such as acceleration and deceleration.