The Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy and Health (CARTEEH) hosted a webinar on June 21, 2021 on how increased use of active transportation can make direct and indirect contributions toward addressing societal transportation issues. However, in the process of cycling for transportation, cyclists are exposed to multiple pollutants that could adversely impact their health. The goal of this study was to better understand the variation in PM2.5 exposure of cyclists depending on the cycling infrastructure along the selected route and the time that they bike. Four routes that represent the wide range of bicycle infrastructure were ridden using an instrumented bike equipped with low-cost PMS5003™ sensors. In this presentation, we will discuss the instrumented bicycle and sensors used to conduct the study, resulting PM2.5 exposure maps, and qualities of the locations with higher or lower PM2.5 exposure (traffic, bicycle infrastructure).
To view the webinar presentation, please click here.
Speakers
Dr. Kari Watkins, Georgia Tech
Dr. Kari Watkins is the Frederick Law Olmsted Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. Her research and teaching looks at how technology and public space can be used to encourage collective transportation (such as transit and rideshare) and active transportation (such as biking and walking). Dr. Watkins also serves as the Director of T-SCORE, a new United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) University Transportation Center on the subject of Strategic Implications of Changing Public Transportation Travel Trends.
Kaitlyn Schaffer, Kittleson & Associates, Inc.
Kaitlyn Schaffer’s curiosity about the urban environment led her to pursue both undergraduate and graduate civil engineering degrees from Georgia Tech. At Georgia Tech, Kaitlyn was a graduate research assistant for the Urban Transportation Information Lab where she worked on various projects that intersected both transportation and public health interests. After graduation, she joined Kittelson & Associates in Baltimore, Maryland, where she works on a variety of multimodal projects with a focus on active transportation. She loves commuting by foot or by bike to the office and works to create environments where people have healthy and happy commutes, too.
