Usage of Microscopic Simulation to Estimate the Environmental Impact of Road Transport

Abstract

The purpose of the transport system is providing access to goods, jobs and services. However, the increase in the level of transport services provision is accompanied by negative consequences. Within the concept of sustainable development of urban transport systems, it is necessary to ensure a safe environmental load for people. Therefore, the purpose of this study is the search and testing of methods to correctly estimate the degree of environmental impact by road transport, reducing the environmental burden, and substantiating the rationality of the implementation of the proposed measures for greening transport. As research methods were used: the theory of traffic flows, simulation, computer experiment, methods of direct measurement of environmental emissions on the road segment under study. The use of simulation allows to find an acceptable solution for the volume of exhaust gases and noise pollution, by varying the parameters of the transport system objects (the configuration of the road network, the characteristics and modes of operation of the road infrastructure elements). It is shown that micromodelling is an effective approach, in which the unit of modeling is a separate vehicle. It makes possible to take into account the individual characteristics of the vehicle (current mileage, engine type, environmental safety class), which allows an estimation of the environmental impact of the vehicle fleet operating in the area. Examples of using this approach are given, computer experiments on specific sections of the road network are conducted (in particular at intersections of multi-lane roads with traffic lights, as well as locations of road service facilities, such as gas stations, car parks, etc., which increase the negative environmental impact on the adjacent territory).