Reduction of Vehicular Emission at Urban Road Junctions Through Traffic Interventions

Abstract

The road transportation sector is one of the dominant sources of vehicular emission, which is causing very high levels of air pollution. Any technique to effectively control pollution is only possible by precisely estimating vehicle exhaust emissions. The objective of the research is to estimate vehicular emissions near the signalized intersection under the effect of traffic, control, vehicle, and road characteristics. This will enable to establish the link between emissions and the most likely influencing and measurable characteristics of Indian traffic conditions. The simulation results generated in VISSIM are imported into EnViVer to calculate the total emissions and emissions of individual vehicle classes. By simulating various combinations of vehicular, traffic, geometric, and control conditions at the intersection, the researcher will be able to arrive at the optimal combination that will result in minimal vehicular emission. The mathematical models that could be developed out of the research will be helpful to field practitioners in selecting the best strategy to tackle air pollution resulting from vehicular traffic. CO<inf>2</inf> emission reduces significantly by 45.79% by decreasing 2W (Two-wheeler) and cars in the traffic stream by 75% and substituting these with busses. Further, a reduction of pollution levels by 91.1% occurs when all conventional cars are replaced by electric vehicles. Hence, encouraging the use of public transportation and the adoption of electric-powered vehicles could be the right step to tackle the ever-increasing pollution levels on Indian roads. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.