Abstract
Increased use of active transportation can make direct and indirect contributions toward addressing both the health concerns arising from sedentary lifestyles and other societal transportation issues including congestion, environmental, and equity problems. However, in the process of cycling for transportation, cyclists themselves are exposed to multiple pollutants that could adversely impact their health. Although it has been found that the health benefits of cycling on an individual basis outweigh air pollution and safety impacts, pollutant exposure during a typical trip can be almost double depending on the mode of transport and specific route. The goal of this study is to better understand local cyclist exposure to air pollutants, specifically PM2.5. This mapping of pollutant exposure along cyclist routes at different times of day and with varying traffic volumes can allow better planning of cyclist infrastructure and routing of cyclists in trip planners to minimize pollutant exposure while cycling. The project team seeks to understand the variation in air quality exposure of a cyclist depending on the time that they bike and the route that they take during their trip. This research project refines the use of an instrumented bicycle for air quality data collection to map pollutant exposure by cyclists on parallel routes between major origin‐destination pairs.
Research Investigators (PI*)
Kari Watkins*, Georgia Institute of Technology
Christopher LeDantec, Georgia Institute of Technology
Project Information
Start Date: January 1, 2018
End Date: June 30, 2019
Status: Completed
Grant Number: 69A3551747128
Source Organization: CARTEEH UTC
Project Number: GT-01-09
TRID URL
UTC Project Information Form
CARTEEH Focus Area
Exposure and Health Impacts
Sponsor
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC 20590 United States
Performing Organization
Georgia Institute of Technology
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
225 North Ave NW
Atlanta, GA 30332
